Transformers 3: Return to Cybertron
by Captain Arianna Trouble
Summary: Once again, Sam Witwicky is key to the survival of the Transformers. This time, the threat is the greatest the Autobots have ever known, and a vengeful Megatron is unlikely to help matters Post-ROTF SamxMikaela; Sequel is up: Branding of Neutrals
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Hasbro has that honor. However, if Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman read and like this, that could change (an event which I highly doubt).

A/N: Please forgive my rusty writing. It's been a while since I've written any fanfic, and I'm trying to emulate as much style as possible from the book adaptations (for consistency).

Transformers 3: Return to Cybertron

Prologue

_I am Optimus Prime… I send this message to others of my kind…taking refuge among the stars…we are here…we are waiting…_

Past the planets of Earth's solar system, beyond the asteroid belts and meteors of space, a single message was continuously looped in the hope that the lost and wayward Autobots of the universe would find their way to a new home.

But others were also hearing the message.

One such listener seemed dormant, floating through space as if on a whim. It was the size of a large asteroid, and to anyone less informed, that's all it was.

Yet the being was headed straight for the source of the message.

The planet Earth.

The Autobots.

Optimus Prime.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Hasbro has that honor. However, if Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman read and like this, that could change (an event which I highly doubt).

Chapter 1

Once again, Major William Lennox was wiping sand from his eyes as he surveyed the desert around him. Beside him, Chief Master Sergeant Robert Epps was vocalizing his displeasure.

"Man, how do we always end up in these hellholes? Couldn't the baddies take pity on us and hide out in Canada?"

Lennox grimaced at the thought. "That sounds too close to home."

"Still, don't Transformers feel the heat?"

"I think they just have a higher tolerance. I mean, they seem to make it through the atmosphere alright," Lennox said, remembering one of the many times he had witnessed an Autobot first make planetfall in a dramatic lightshow that left civilians unaware of anything other than a bright meteor shower.

"Just because we can take it doesn't mean we can't _feel _it," Ironhide offered, coming up from behind the two soldiers. "True warriors know when to gripe and when to live with it."

The two humans exchanged grins. Ironhide was always determined to prove that he was the ultimate fighter, both in and out of battles. Despite their deep respect and friendship with the weapon specialist, they still enjoyed the chance to egg him on.

"So you'd fly into the sun, no complaints?"

Ironhide seemed taken aback. "The temperature of the sun would not bother me. However, it might be unwise as it could melt my exterior-"

"But the heat wouldn't be a problem?"

"Yeah, you could take it," Epps chuckled, enjoying the discomfort evident in the bot.

"It seems, Ironhide, you picked this battle most unwisely," Ratchet, the chief medical officer for both human and Autobot forces, said with a smug tone.

For a moment the bots were silent, except for the faint sound of beeps at a frequency almost too high for human ears. Epps and Lennox ignored it. They were used to the occasional conversations the Autobots had in their native tongue. Or whatever they had that was the equivalent of a tongue.

"When are our buddies expected to arrive?" Lennox asked, looking up to Ratchet for the answer.

"The communication we intercepted indicated the Decepticons could arrive at any time between 1 and 2. That means their ETA is in 3 minutes."

"Let's hope they're prompt. I want to get into some shade," Epps complained.

Three minutes passed, and then thirty. The NEST team waited in tense silence, knowing that the quiet could end in a heartbeat.

"I don't like this," Epps said quietly. Still scanning the sandy horizon, Lennox nodded in agreement. They were surrounded by desert, with only some rocky outcroppings acting as cover. Any approaching enemy should have been visible for miles, whether in the air or on the ground. That is, if any enemy was _coming…_

"Ratchet," Lennox said, "what exactly was in that transmission?"

"The coordinates and time of arrival. Other than that, the details were rather sketchy."

"That's what I don't like about this. Do scans show anything here they might want?"

"Preliminary scans showed that there are some deep, untapped oil wells. Apart from the crude energy source, there is no obvious advantage to this spot," Ironhide said in a low growl. He, too, seemed to sense that something was amiss.

"Damn," Lennox muttered. There was always the chance that this was an ambush, completely set up by the Decepticons. It was in their nature to plant false information whenever possible in order to confuse and distract the Autobots. If this was nothing more than an elaborate trap, it would take little more than a couple aerial attacks to take out the NEST forces on the ground.

This was a moment that every commanding officer dreaded. The realization that there were two dangerous choices: continue to wait to ambush the Decepticons, or head out before the Decepticons ambushed them. The thought raced through Lennox's mind. If he pulled out the troops because he thought there was an ambush, he could save all their lives. But if he was wrong and the Decepticons _didn't _know that NEST was waiting, then they would miss a valuable opportunity to capture and interrogate some enemy soldiers.

Lennox took a step forward and a deep breath.

"Okay, guys-"

_Phtttttt. Boom!_

An explosion rocked the ground Lennox had previously occupied. The force was enough to knock the major over, but within seconds he was shouting orders.

"Hold positions! Cover and go!"

Immediately, the specially trained human and Autobot troops began to search for enemy targets. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Decepticons or any other life.

"What did that?" Epps called, running up to join Lennox.

"I don't know. Ironhide?"

The Autobot had both cannons drawn, facing the sky. He seemed to sniff the air before answering.

"It's a lone Decepticon. A fast one, at that."

"Oh, great. How does that help us?"

"It doesn't." Lennox rolled his eyes. Sometimes he wondered why the Autobots even bothered bringing humans along on these missions. It felt like he always was left with more questions than answers.

"What can we do, Ironhide?" Epps asked, ever impatient.

"Major, I suggest you get out of here. Sideswipe!" A shiny, silver Autobot rolled up at the older bot's call. "Remove the major."

Within half a second, there was a smooth looking Corvette ready to whisk Lennox away. Of course, that required some effort.

"I can't leave now!" Lennox yelled up.

"That projectile was aimed directly at you. It was the only attack. Therefore, you are the most likely target," Ironhide said. His optic lenses stayed focused to the skies, awaiting his unseen adversary.

"What? That was just coincidence!"

"Ironhide is correct. The Decepticon had the opportunity to take many more of us out but only aimed at you," Ratchet concurred.

"I won't leave my men," Lennox said.

Suddenly, the argument between man and machine was interrupted by another series of explosions, all focused around the small human figure at the center of three Autobot warriors. Ironhide released a few rounds from his cannons, and a dark shadow appeared on the sand. Flying high above was the Decepticon enemy, desperately trying to avoid the barrage of energon blasts headed its way.

"Thrust!" Ironhide bellowed. "You picked a lousy time to show up!"

"I still came in time to win!" The jet turned back and began to pepper the ground with its guns. While the humans tried to find cover, the Autobots raced towards the enemy.

Sideswipe was able to use his speed (thanks to some upgraded wheels made specifically for sand) to his advantage. Ironhide continued to fire high, forcing Thrust closer to the ground…and closer to Sideswipe's waiting blades.

The young Autobot managed to slice through one of Thrust's engines, causing him to collide with the ground. Before he had any chance to recover, Ratchet and Ironhide were over him.

"You always claimed victory too soon," Ratchet mused.

"Now it's time to talk," Ironhide growled, aiming his cannon at Thrust's head. "What were you doing here?"

"I was after the human."

"Why?"

"Megatron has plans."

"What plans?" Ironhide asked, sounding impatient.

"Revenge."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers. I really wish I did, because my college expenses would be completely taken care of my now.

A/N: This chapter has some fluff. If you don't like it, don't worry: this is all there is. I'm just getting the love out of the way in order to get the plot rolling later.

Chapter 2

Sam Witwicky was enjoying another regular day at his dorm. Well, it wasn't quite 'regular'. Sitting on his bed was the most beautiful girl he had ever known, Mikaela Banes. She would be staying with him over the weeklong break he had from classes. Even better was the fact that he would be uninterrupted by his roommate, the conspiracy crazed Leo Spitz, who was stuck in the hospital with a broken leg after an unfortunate attempt to impress some freshman girls.

"So, what are you thinking about?" Mikaela asked, reclining further on the bed. Sam smiled as he joined her.

"Only that I'm, somehow, the luckiest guy in the world," he responded, finishing the statement with a kiss.

"You're only saying that because I cleaned your room for you," she smiled, pulling away.

"Hey, I didn't ask for you to do that."

"No, but the room did. I wasn't going to sleep in Leo's filth for an entire week."

"Well, then sleep in my filth instead," Sam joked, trying to get another kiss.

"That just sounds dirty."

"That's the point."

"What are we doing tonight?"

"I was thinking a nice romantic dinner, with flowers and all that stuff."

Mikaela pulled away, impressed. "You can afford all that?"

"I can if we do it at Burger King." Mikaela rolled her eyes while Sam continued his explanation. "You know, we'll ask for those crowns from the kid's meal and I'm sure I could get the manager to play some romantic tunes on the speaker. Do you know their policy on candles?"

"Just when I think you've changed, you always go back to your old, dorky self."

"And that's why you love me," Sam said. Mikaela just held his hand, regretting that it was true. But even as a dork, this was kind of romantic-

_Hit me baby one more time!_

"What the hell was that?" Mikaela asked, looking for the source of the pop song.

"It's my phone…" Sam said, rummaging through the piles of papers and clothes in an attempt to find the cellular device.

"You have Brittney Spears on your phone?"

"Only for one person…Here it is!" Sam said triumphantly, holding up the sleek, black phone that was, according to Bumblebee, Decepticon-attack proof. "Hello?"

"_Hey, Spike! What's up?"_

"Not much. Just hangin' with my girlfriend," Sam said, ignoring Mikaela's snicker at the nickname she'd just heard.

_"I just called because I couldn't remember your room number."_

"My room number? Why do you need it?"

_"Wait, hold on-"_

There was a knock on the door. Sam dropped his phone.

"No-"

"Sam, who is it?" Mikaela asked.

Ignoring his girlfriend, Sam raced over to the door and opened it. Standing on the other side was a girl who, in Mikaela's eyes, couldn't have been more than 16 years old or 5 feet in height. The girl was in a rather preppy outfit, like out of a catalogue or maybe a school uniform. Mikaela couldn't make out much more as most of the girl was lost in the hug Sam was giving her.

"Spike, how are you? It feels like it's been forever!" the girl exclaimed, stepping back to look at Sam. "College has been good to you."

"I wish I could say the same for you, Shorty," Sam laughed. "Have you grown at all since I last saw you?"

"I'm officially five-one," the girl, Shorty, said proudly. "It even says so on my driver's license."

"Only because you lied. That's a felony, you know."

"Ahem," Mikaela coughed, trying to remind her boyfriend that introductions were in order.

Sam glanced over, surprised. "Oh, Mikaela, this is my cousin, Shorty."

The girl elbowed Sam in the ribs. "It's Alexis, actually. Alexis Witwicky."

Mikaela smiled, recognition on her face. "I remember, Sam's mentioned you a couple of times. Your dad's the one in the…Navy, right?"

"Close," Alexis said. She crossed the room to sit on one of the computer chairs that wasn't still covered with clothes. "He serves in the Air Force. This is a pretty decent size room, Spike."

"Thanks, and don't call me that."

"Spike? Where'd that name come from?" Mikaela asked.

"You know, that's not important. I don't even remember it-"

"I do," Alexis said with bright eyes. "It's from several years ago, when-"

"No, no, no, no. That is old history. New history, ha. What are you doing here, Lex?" Sam asked, his voice cracking during the question. Mikaela made a mental note to ask for the 'Spike' story some other time.

"I thought you knew. Your Mom said she had arranged everything with you," Alexis said. Concern entered her voice. "Did you not know I was coming this weekend?"

I didn't know you were coming at all, Sam thought. Out loud, he said, "Hold on, here, a second. I actually have to call my mom. Thanks for the reminder." Sam ducked out of the room before anyone could object.

Mikaela turned to Alexis. "So why do you call him 'Spike'?"

_Ring._

_Ring._

"Pick-up, pick-up, pick-up," Sam begged.

"_Hello?"_

_"_Dad, hi, is Mom there?"

"_Oh, I'm fine. I just finished installing the speakers in the home theater. How are you?"_

"Sorry, no time for pleasantries. There is another Witwicky in my room and I need Mom."

_"Oh, Alexis is there already?"_

"You knew about this, too?"

"_Your mother told me about it-"_

"Well, she neglected to tell me. Please, put her on the phone."

_"I don't know if now is the best time."_

"Why not?"

_"She's…hormonal."_

"What, menopause or something?"

_"More or less. She's been a little…emotional."_

"Well, put her on. Please."

_"Alright. Don't say I didn't warn you."_

Thousands of miles away from Sam's mini-meltdown, his father faced a much larger problem.

"Judy?"

"Go away!"

"Honey, this is not healthy!"

Judy Witwicky, a woman who had, admittedly, been through a lot in the last couple of years, had reached the end of her rope. Her baby was at college, her dogs were always humping things, and her cars were twin robots. Now, she was almost 100% certain that she was in menopause.

This fact did not put her in a good mood.

Neither did the fact that the wedding dress she was wearing not fit.

"This dress used to fit me _perfectly_! Look at me now! I'm spilling out of it wine from a glass," she sobbed, trying to suck in her stomach to slim down her reflection. "I swear, the robots made me gain ten pounds!"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Judy, you look fine. If anything, the weight has made you look better."

There was silence from the other room.

Still in her wedding dress, Judy came to the hallway to face her husband.

"What. Did. You. Say."

"Your son is on the phone?" Ron said, more afraid than he had been during any earthquake he'd ever experienced.

The change in Judy Witwicky's countenance was frightening.

"Sammy! Give me the phone!" Judy practically mowed over her husband in order to grab the receiver. "Sam? How's my baby boy?"

_"Fine, Mom. Guess who just showed up at my room?"_

"Mikaela?"

_"No, Lex is here. Would you care to tell me why?"_

"Oh, I thought I told you. She has auditions for the orchestra and will be staying with you all week. Did I forget to mention it?"

"_Forget-? Yes, Mom, you forgot! How can you forget to tell me someone will be living with me for a week? I already have Mikaela staying with me!"_

"She's small. Fit her under the bed or something. Isn't Leo in the hospital? She can use his bed."

_"No, because his bed is disgusting. I can't fit three people in my room with no warning. It can't be done!"_

"Well…"

"_'Well' what?"_

"You could be the gentlemen and you can find someplace else to sleep."

_"Like where? My car isn't exactly an option."_

"Why not? He's right on campus with you-"

"_Because it's weird, that's why. Would you sleep in one of the Twins?"_

"Ew, no. But you're a guy. Guys can handle that."

A few thousand miles away, Sam rolled his eyes.

"You know what? I'll figure something out. Love ya, Mom."

"_Okay, baby. Call again soon. Love you."_

Sam closed the phone. This romantic week with Mikaela was going to be very difficult with his cousin hanging around. That's when his mother's words hit him. He ran back to his room.

"And that's why we call Sam 'Spike'", Alexis was saying as Sam raced back in.

"Hey, Spike," Mikaela said, purposefully elongating the nickname.

"Lex," Sam said, ignoring Mikaela, "why are you auditioning for the orchestra here?"

"Um, because this is where I'm going to school in the fall?"

"Really? That's…interesting…"

"Is something wrong, Sam?"

"No, no, it's just…You're in college already?"


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. I do own a Transformers action figure. Does that count for anything?

Chapter 3

To the Decepticons hiding on Earth, the men of NEST were a force to be reckoned with. To Annabelle Lennox, they were putty in her hands.

Every time the toddler was taken to the military base at Diego Garcia, she was instantly surrounded by countless soldiers who wanted to put a smile on her face. Some were doing this because they missed their own children, others because the precocious Annabelle was simply a delight. But all of them knew that her rare visits came at a price: her young life was in danger.

Sarah Lennox, watching her daughter from across the hanger, was trying to smile at the macho soldiers who were reduced to playing hide-and-seek. She had been tense since being called in to the base, knowing that it wasn't for a regular visit. Until she saw Will face to face, she wouldn't be able to relax.

"Ma'am?" Sarah was startled by the private that had appeared beside her. "The major is here now."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Sarah followed the patrolman to a clump of computers at the center of the hanger. Approaching from the other side was a handsome (and haggard) soldier. The heavy bags under his eyes disappeared as a smile lit up his face.

"Hey, honey." Major William Lennox swept his wife up in his arms. "Where's Annabelle at?"

"War games," Sarah smiled. "I think a general is over there playing peek-a-boo with her now."

The couple was silent as they simply took in each other's faces and features. Unlike the regular army forces, the human members of NEST didn't know how long their tours would last. Some missions lasted a few days while others lingered on for weeks. Although this last one had been short, it still felt too long for the married couple.

"Will, what happened? The soldiers who picked us up couldn't tell us anything."

Lennox sighed. "I wish I could explain. The Autobots think I'm a target for the next Decepticon attack. Until they figure out why, they want to make sure that we're all safe."

Sarah's eyes widened in surprise. She knew that her husband was important as one of the joint leaders of a human-alien military alliance, but she had never thought that it would single him out as a target. She had never even considered that the bad robots knew who Will _was. _

"Do the Autobots think the bad ones would come after us?"

"I hope not. We'll find out soon enough. Hey, baby!" Will suddenly shifted out of fighter mode into father mode. Annabelle, having spotted her father, had sprinted the length of the hanger to get to him.

"Daddy, I made you some photos," the little girl said, giggling as Lennox picked her up in his arms. "They're of you and Iron-guy."

"It's Iron_hide, _sweetheart," Lennox gently corrected. "Did you make them with crayons or with paint?"

"I had to use the crayons because Mommy said the finger paints get too messy," Annabelle said with an overly dramatic sigh. "I said I'd be carefully but…" Rather than finish with words, the girl just shrugged her shoulders in an exaggerated fashion.

"Maybe when I'm home we can finger paint."

"Can we paint Ironsides? Black isn't pretty like pink."

Lennox let out a laugh. "I'll see if we can do that."

Across the hanger, the tone of the conversation could not have been more different. Thrust, a Decepticon jet, was being backed in from a flatbed truck. He was secured by thousands of pounds of iron cable, and even if he managed to cut himself free he would have had to deal with several Autobot soldiers. Among them was Optimus Prime, who stood beside a boom mic that was a direct link to General Morshower at the Pentagon. Whatever information they could withdraw from the Decepticon would immediately be entered into Pentagon files with the hopes that future attacks could be avoided. Optimus faced the jet.

"What was the intent of your mission?" he asked in his deep, gravelly voice.

"Well, well, if it isn't old Prime." The Decepticon seemed to smirk. "How was death? Megatron refuses to share what the experience was like for him. Surely you could elaborate."

Prime rubbed his nose (as the humans called it). This was not going to be an easy interrogation.

"Thrust, you understand that a lack of cooperation will get you nowhere but a faster death?" Ironhide threatened from beside Optimus.

"If I'm going offline anyway, I might as well stay true to my nature. I always ask the questions; I never answer them."

"Perhaps you will answer this!" Ironhide withdrew both his cannons and aimed them squarely at the Decepticon's exposed spark. Thrust remained unimpressed.

"Your threats will get you nowhere. You Autobots are all talk and no action. Trust me, no Autobot prisoner would have lasted this long against _our _interrogators."

Several of the Autobot warriors winced at this statement. Many of their comrades had, in centuries past, been subjected to the 'questioning' of Megatron and his minions.

"Thrust, it is that very difference that you gloat of that separates the core of our beliefs," Optimus said, leveling an even stare at the Decepticon. "The mercy we show you should not be taken lightly, since, as you pointed out, you should be dead." The Autobot leader paused before his next statement. "You have been captive among us for nearly 72 hours. Should we allow you to return to Megatron, what will he _think_ you did in order to survive?"

To this, the jet had no retort. It was well known that Megatron would turn on his own troops as quickly as he would the enemy. If he considered for even a second that Thrust had betrayed him…There would always be a seed of doubt as to what really happened during his captivity.

"Thrust," Optimus continued, breaking through the Decepticon's thoughts, "you have a unique opportunity. Although we cannot grant you complete freedom on this planet, we can make a deal. Your information for release into space, whether it is back to Megatron-", Thrust winced, "-or other star systems. Now, what was your mission?"

"Do you swear, Prime, to release me?"

"Yes."

The Decepticon lowered his head. "I was sent to kidnap the human William Lennox. He was to be subjected to a few simple, eh, experiments."

"Why him?"

"Megatron remembers his enemies. The human was to be one of many subjects until the capture of the boy."

This caught Optimus' attention. "What would happen after the boy's capture?"

Thrust let out a wheezing laugh. "I don't know, but it was intended to be the worst punishment. Life and death and lots of pain. That is why Megatron wanted his other insect enemies, as practice."

"I say we use _you _for practice!" Ironhide growled, enraged at the idea of his human charge being nothing but a test subject for Megatron to torture.

"Easy, Ironhide," Optimus cautioned. "You will be escorted from this base to the earth moon. There, Ratchet shall perform a harmless procedure to ensure that you are unable to return to this base or recall this meeting."

Thrust's optic lenses widened. "Is such a thing possible?"

"Yes," Ratchet said, speaking up for the first time. "Although I can't promise it will be painless."

"From the moon you may proceed where you like. However," Optimus lowered his voice, "if you dare return to this planet, your spark is ours."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers. Talk to Michael Bay if you have a problem with that fact.

A/N: Bumblebee's radio messages are in italics (just in case there was any confusion there). His actual dialogue will appear like any other characters'.

Chapter 4

Sam Witwicky was awoken by the sound of gunfire.

Jumping up, Sam bumped his head on the roof of the Camaro he had been lying in. A Camaro that was now, via radio, laughing.

"You think that's funny, Bee?" he groaned, checking the clock on his cell phone. "Bee, you're killing me here. The _sun_ isn't even up yet."

_The early bird gets the worm._

"Yeah, but it's the second mouse who gets the cheese," Sam grumbled. He pulled out a crushed pillow from underneath his abdomen. "Okay, remind me to bring more pillows tomorrow night. My back is killing me."

Straightening himself in the backseat, Sam looked out the window to figure out where Bee had driven. From what he could see, they were on the opposite side of the city from campus.

"Gee, Bee, where are we? And where did you park?"

_I drove all niiiiight._

"Why'd you do that? There're plenty of spots to stop."

_It is illegal…to be vagrant._

Sam laughed. "I don't think I would have gotten arrested, Bee. Not if I was asleep in a car on campus. They're probably used to it there."

With a grunt, Sam climbed into the front seat. He rested his hands on the steering wheel out of instinct, but Bumblebee was the one driving. Sam was glad for that, because it allowed him a few more minutes to fully wake up.

"Well, one down, six to go."

"Why can't you sleep in your room?"

"Mikaela and my cousin, Lex, are sleeping there."

"There are two beds. Couldn't you share one with Mikaela?"

Sam turned red. "No, no, no. Not with my cousin around. Definitely not."

"You've done it before-"

"No, Bee, nope. Just, just, just no. Not, it's completely different," Sam sputtered. "Besides, it was the nice thing to do, to offer to sleep in my car for a few nights."

In reality, it was a very difficult thing to do. Aside from the issue of comfort, there was something inherently embarrassing about sleeping inside an advanced robot. For all Sam knew, he could have drooled all over his guardian's upholstery, or been sleep talking. It was one thing to sit in Bumblebee for a few hours while fully cognitive, but another while unconscious and out of control. Sam thanked his lucky stars that he wasn't a bed wetter.

"How is your cousin?"

"Lex? She's good."

"Has her musical ability improved?"

"Improved? I guess. I haven't heard her play since she started Orchestra in the fifth grade. Wait, how'd you know she played an instrument?"

_We have met once before._

"Whoa, hang on a sec," Sam demanded, now fully alert in the driver's seat. "You _met _her? As in, 'Hi, I'm an alien robot?' type met?"

Bumblebee activated his windshield wipers, the closest he could get to rolling his eyes. "There were no formal introductions. I simply had to observe her for a week."

"Observe-? Why was she under surveillance?"

"The same reason you were. I had to see which descendant of Archibald Witwicky had inherited his glasses. I had to perform reconnaissance on all of your aunts and uncles before I found you."

"Really? I always thought that you just knew I had them…" Sam trailed off. He had never really thought about how Bumblebee had found him nearly three years earlier. He'd always assumed that he'd found him like the Decepticons did: on EBay.

_No, no, no, no, no, no._

For the rest of the ride back to campus, Sam sat in silence. Running through his mind was an entirely new image, one where his little cousin was driving Bumblebee. He had once considered passing of Archibald's old junk onto her, and if he had…It was incredible to think that they could have had completely different lives.

"I'm glad I kept those glasses," Sam muttered.

If Bumblebee heard, he didn't respond in any audio form. Pulling up to a parking stall in front of Sam's door, he let his charge out before finally going into stasis.

"See ya later, Bee."

* * *

In the time that Sam had been returning to campus, Mikaela had already risen and prepared for the day. It was habit from early mornings working at the Chop Shop, but she was surprised to see that Lex had also risen early.

"I have to wake up with the colonel," Lex quipped before heading off to the bathroom.

When both girls were done and waiting for Sam, Mikaela initiated some small talk. Not that there hadn't been plenty of chatting the night before, but Sam had been there has a buffer most of the time. Now it was just two girls who had only one element in common.

"So what do you play?"

"Viola. Although there have been many who say I just have a broken violin," Lex joked. Mikaela nodded and the room fell back into silence. She might know how to clean and repair the grungiest engine, but instruments were beyond her.

"How long have you been dating Sam?" Lex asked.

"Almost three years now."

"Wow, that sounds pretty serious."

"It kind of is."

"I remember when Sam first told me he had a girlfriend. It was in the same e-mail that he told me he'd gotten a car. I thought he was joking," Lex said shyly. "He wasn't exactly…Well, we didn't think he would ever get a girlfriend."

"Why not?" Mikaela asked, arching an eyebrow.

"He's a dorky Witwicky. It's like we're destined for dysfunction and insanity."

You can say that again, Mikaela thought. "I like how he's dorky."

"I'm glad you do. I have nothing against you two," Lex said hurriedly, worried she'd made offense. "Because of you I can have a boyfriend."

"How's that?"

"My dad said I wasn't allowed to date unless Sam had a girlfriend. Thanks to you I've at least been able to get a couple of first dates."

"No second dates?"

"No, because at the start of the first date Dad greets the guy with his gun collection." Lex paused. "He has a lot of guns."

There was a quiet knock on the door before Sam poked his head through the frame.

"Hey, everyone decent?"

"If I say 'no' will you go away?"

"That is hardly the polite way to treat your host, Shorty."

Sam came in and joined Mikaela on the bed. After a brief kiss, he turned to the matter at hand.

"What's the plan for today?"

"Well," Mikaela said, temporarily forgetting the company, "I was thinking we could have a nice, romantic trip to one of the nearby parks. I even planned to pack a picnic lunch."

"Hm, that sounds great." Sam paused. "Uh, wait, Lex, what are you doing today?"

"My audition isn't until Monday. I don't exactly have an itinerary of activities planned…"

Sam let out a low whistle as he thought. He couldn't just abandon his favorite (and only) cousin while he had fun (lots of fun) with his girlfriend. But he couldn't bring her along without spoiling his alone time with Mikaela.

"Actually," Lex continued, "there's a museum here that I sort of want to see. It's about 20 minutes away, but I could spend all day there."

Sam smiled. Lex had always been good at making things work. She hated to be a bother, and she knew that he needed an excuse to hang out with Mikaela without ditching her.

"Well, I'll drive you over to that museum while Mikaela stays here to prepare lunch. That sound good?" Both girls nodded, knowing this plan would work out best for both of them. "Alright, I'll take you to my car."

After a couple of good-bye kisses, Sam led Alexis to where he had left Bumblebee. Lex let out a whistle upon seeing the Camaro.

"It looks a lot better than the last time I saw it."

"Eh? When was that?"

"Oh, uh, last year. We had that visit, remember?" Lex stammered.

"Right," Sam said. He opened up the driver's door and waited for his cousin. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah. Of course." She slipped into the passenger seat and quickly buckled up.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked.

"Fine. Totally fine. I think I'm just a little jetlagged from yesterday."

"From a two hour flight?"

"Hey, everyone reacts differently to flying."

"Okay," Sam said, backing Bumblebee out of the parking spot. "So what'd you and Mikaela talk about while I was gone?"

"Boys. Who's hot and who's not."

"I'm going to hope it was a one sided discussion."

"No, Mikaela dominated it. She has a thing for your roommate, by the way. She asked me to tell you, let you down gently. But she wants to stay friends."

"You know, I think you try to cause trouble," Sam laughed. Lex was silent. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Sam."

"I know you better than that. Don't you remember the Witwicky pact? No secrets."

"Then why didn't you tell me your car was an alien robot?"

That was not the response Sam expected. Bumblebee clearly didn't expect it either, as he swerved into the next lane of traffic and barely avoided a median divider.

"WHAT?"

"Stop your Autobot, Sam," Lex said, completely calm. "You're headed into a trap."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Deal with it.

A/N: Bumblebee's radio messages are in italics and his normal conversations are regularly quoted.

Chapter 5

It took a lot to worry Optimus Prime. He was used to entering battles with full confidence, unafraid of dying. But now the Autobot leader was racked with concern while awaiting news, any news, about Bumblebee and the human Sam Witwicky.

His human allies had managed to contact the boy's parents, Ron and Judy, with little difficulty. After their kidnapping in Paris, the Autobots knew the two could have been exploited again as a way of getting to Sam. They were already en route to the base with their protectors, Skids and Mudflap.

Of course, there was little point bringing in the parents if the child was already captured.

Optimus was forced to wait in frustration as Ratchet continually tried to contact Bumblebee. The silence from the younger bot was both reassuring and fearsome. If Bumblebee was maintaining silence because he was surrounded by humans, then the silence was a sign that Sam was safe. But if the silence was because he was already captured…Optimus shook the thought from his mind.

Wherever Bumblebee was, he would protect Sam with his life. Optimus could only hope that it would never come to that.

* * *

Bumblebee was headed into a trap. Or so the small human occupying his passenger seat claimed. When he had met (or 'stalked') her three years earlier, she had seemed like a normal, intelligent girl. Now all his preconceived notions were blown out the window.

"What are you talking about?" Sam squeaked from the driver's seat. "Lex, you're crazy-"

_Don't trust a ho, never trust a ho-_

"I hope you're not referring to me," Alexis Witwicky, the cause of concern, said. "I am definitely not a ho."

"Of course not. It's just a song," Sam tried to laugh. "Aliens aren't sending messages through the radio. Sheesh."

"Sam, I'm trying to save your life and you decide to question my sanity? Thanks."

"Only because you're talking crazy!" Sam exclaimed.

"Sam," Alexis said, anger in her voice. "I know that you know that there are Transformers on this planet. And now you know that I know that you know there are Transformers on this planet. Stop pretending like you don't know that I know that you know that there are Transformers on this planet."

"What?"

"Take me seriously, Sam. Tell your Autobot to turn around, go anywhere but where I told you." Lex sighed. "It's not a museum, it's a trap. If we go there, a couple of Decepticons will attack the Autobot and another one will take you, Sam, to Megatron. You don't want to know what he had planned for you then."

Sam stared at his cousin for a long moment. "How do you know any of this?"

Lex was quiet. "I swear I can explain. But you need to go somewhere safe. Now."

"Bee," Sam said, "What do you think?"

_What do you say to taking chances?...Better safe than sorry._

"Alright, back to campus. We'll figure out where to go after we get Mikaela." With that prompting, Bumblebee executed a perfect u-turn as he headed back the way they came.

"What did you call your Autobot? Bee?" Lex asked.

"Yeah, it's Bumblebee," Sam said. Lex nodded.

"I remember meeting him, actually. At least I think it was him. He was an older model car, at the time."

_I'm harder/better/faster/stronger._

"I don't doubt that."

"Time for a heart to heart, now. How'd you learn about the Autobots?" Sam asked.

"From the Decepticons."

"Whoa, shit, are you serious?"

"Yes, Sam. About a week after Bumblebee left me to find you, another Transformer came to see if I had Archibald's glasses. A Decepticon. And, uh, unlike Bumblebee, he introduced himself."

"So you've known about them all this time from that one encounter?"

Lex let out a breath. "Um, we sort of stayed in contact."

"What, you just had a Decepticon pen pal?"

"It wasn't like that. It started as…intimidation. After learning I didn't have the glasses, I thought he was just going to kill me. Luckily one of his buddies located you and he just left."

"Yeah, lucky they just happened to find me and make me their target."

"Anyway," Alexis continued, not making eye contact with her cousin, "after the Mission City incident, he came back to see me. He forced me to help him get fuel and supplies in order to repair himself. His way of thanking me was not killing me."

"And you never thought to tell anyone about this?" Sam asked, incredulous.

"Believe me, I thought of calling Oprah sometimes. But I was worried that no one would believe me for obvious reasons, and I was also worried that they might be listening."

_Would you like a tinfoil hat to go with that crazy?_

Lex chuckled. "It was a little paranoid, I admit. But every time I thought I was safe, he'd show up again. I sort of became the Decepticon liaison to Earth."

"_You've _been _helping _the _Decepticons?_" Sam asked, angry. "Do you know what they _do_? What they _did_? Hell, they kidnapped, tortured and _killed _me!"

"I didn't know that!" Alexis exclaimed. "I thought they were the good guys for a while."

"Even when they threatened to kill you?"

"Hey, when you only hear one side of the story it's easy to be misled. Especially when you're told an already twisted side of the story. I was told that the Decepticons were good and the Autobots were bad."

_That is the biggest load of –_

"Bee, language!" Sam warned. "So when did you figure out that they were homicidal maniacs?"

"Last week, when I met Megatron. He tried to convince me that you were in danger with the Autobots, and that's why I had to lead you into this trap." Lex paused. "Somehow, he couldn't really convince me that he had your goodwill in mind."

"So you decided to betray Megatron? Damn," Sam said. "How long before they figure out we're not coming?"

"Not long. They were expecting us before noon, so," Alexis glanced at Bumblebee's clock, "we only have half an hour before they know something went wrong. I highly suggest we get out of the city before then."

"Alright," Sam pulled out his cell phone. "I'll call Mikaela so she'll be waiting for us with our stuff. Bee, step on it."

As Bumblebee sped up as much as the heavy traffic would allow, Sam faced his cousin. Her normally bright countenance looked completely different. It looked as if her confession had aged her a few years. He knew that she must have felt guilty about lying to him for three years, so he tried to lighten the mood.

"I have one last question."

"Yeah, Sam?"

"Are you really going to my college?"

A/N: Feel free to leave suggestions for any Autobots or Decepticons you would like to see. And let me know if you want Mudflap and Skids to have any importance aside from guarding Mr. and Mrs. Witwicky.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers franchise. I did eat some French fries today though.

Chapter 6

Mikaela Banes didn't like uncomfortable silences. Yet for nearly twenty minutes she had been sitting in one. Sam kept his eyes focused on the road, even though Bumblebee was driving. Alexis was in the backseat, staring at her feet. Even though Sam had briefed her when she brought their suitcases to the car, it seemed that there was more than a little tension between the cousins.

Bumblebee continued on his way, either oblivious to the awkwardness or purposefully ignoring it. Not once did he play a sound clip. Instead, he simply sped along the highway, pushing the speed limit as much as traffic would allow. Eventually, the city began to fade away and thick forests took over the scenery. Mikaela considered asking how long it would take for them to reach their destination when a sudden chirping started in the backseat.

In the backseat, Alexis pulled out her phone. As she looked at the caller ID all color drained from her face. Then, with a few quick, deliberate motions, she took her phone apart. Collecting the various pieces, she reached over the backseat divider to hand them to Mikaela.

"You might want to toss this out the window," she said matter-of-factly. Arching an eyebrow but saying nothing, Mikaela did as she asked. As she rolled up the window, she failed to see Alexis sneak one small, metallic object into her pocket.

"Who was that?" Sam asked. His voice was calm, but Mikaela could tell that he was still upset.

"Soundwave." Alexis kept her eyes on the floor. "They know you're gone."

Bumblebee revved his engine and the speedometer started to rise higher. Sam's fingers tightened on the steering wheel. Mikaela braced herself for the freak-out she knew was coming. Even if his cousin had been tricked into helping Decepticons, she had still blatantly lied about it for nearly three years. Sam was definitely not taking that fact well.

"What, is he on your speed-dial?"

"Sam-"

"No, Mikaela, I want to hear her answer." Sam was fuming now. "How many of them have your cell phone number? Do you have late night chats about homework and destroying the world?"

"I only talked to one," Alexis mumbled. "It was only last week that Megatron and the others tried to use me to get to you. And I didn't let that happen!"

"I don't know, you came pretty close. I mean, you could have told me last night about the trap, not as we were on our way _to_ the trap!"

"I couldn't have done that! They had your room under surveillance. Your little webcam? Direct link to Soundwave. I figured the safest place to tell you was inside an Autobot."

Sam's brow became a little less furrowed as his cousin explained her motives.

"They hacked his webcam?" Mikaela asked. She bit her lip as she remembered all of their web dates and the content of their conversations. She _really _hoped that the Decepticons hadn't heard all of that.

"I don't know when they started doing it, but they only told me to make sure I would know they were watching me." Alexis took a shaky breath. "Look, I'm sorry. I really am. I wanted to tell you the truth for so long but I couldn't."

Mikaela was surprised to see tears running down Alexis' cheeks. The younger girl was taking deep breaths and almost sobbing. Sam wasn't having it.

"Lex, stop that. That hasn't worked since you were six." Instead of stopping, Alexis stuck out her lower lip into a pout. "Oh, not that. I hate that thing!"

Alexis shifted so that she could look Sam straight in the eyes. He immediately turned away, staring out the driver's side window. Mikaela didn't know if she should laugh or not. Whatever was happening between the cousins, it seemed to be an old routine.

"I'm not falling for your innocent bit. Not at all. Nope, not gonna get me."

Alexis sniffed. "I'm-so-sorry," she gasped. "Please-forgive-me-Sammy."

"Damn it, Lex, I forgive you," Sam said with a sigh. "Pure exploitation. I hope you're proud."

"Hey, I learned it from you," Alexis laughed, wiping the tears from her face. "For a minute I thought you weren't going to fall for it."

"Why are all Witwickys so weird?" Mikaela asked.

_They… drive me crazy._

"Bee, I agree with you one hundred percent," she said in response to the Autobot. "So where are we headed?"

"Ratchet has called us to the base at Diego Garcia. A carrier will be waiting for us at the next military base," Bumblebee said. Alexis seemed taken aback by his actual voice. "Your parents are already there."

"My parents? Why?"

"A threat was made against several of Megatron's human enemies. Optimus wanted to make sure they were not kidnapped again." As he said this, Bumblebee pulled off the highway onto a service road.

After a few minutes a fence came into view. Several soldiers were milling around, although all of them came to attention when they saw the bright yellow Camaro come into view. They quickly set to work opening the gate they guarded, not bothering to check the car's riders for clearance. They had been told to expect a very particular vehicle and to ask no questions. Bumblebee drove though without even having to slow down.

As Bumblebee rounded a bend of trees, a small airfield became visible. Sitting at the end of the runway, looking far too big for the small military buildings, was an airplane direct from NEST. Waiting at the hanger door was a big, black truck. Ironhide had come to ensure that they'd all arrived safe. Both vehicles drove up into the plane and settled into the spacious cargo hold. As soon as the door closed, the humans got out so that the vehicles could transform.

"Who is this little human?" Ironhide asked, studying Alexis.

"It's alright, she's my cousin," Sam said.

"The one who served Decepticons?"

"It wasn't my fault," Alexis said, not intimidated by Ironhide's size and visible cannons. "I was tricked."

Chief Master Sergeant Robert Epps came into the cargo bay from the cockpit. "We're going to be taking off now. You might want to buckle up."

* * *

A/N: Okay, this was a little short. I'll try to make up for it next chapter. Here's a hint: Simmons will be coming.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Nor do I own any of Bumblebee's songs (except the ones I made up).

Chapter 7

The flight to Diego Garcia went relatively fast, considering it lasted about three hours. Since Sam had decided to forgive Alexis, he and Mikaela had spent the trip telling her everything the Autobots had done to help humans. Occasionally, Bumblebee, Ironhide, and Chief Master Sergeant Epps would fill in details that the teens had forgotten. In turn, Alexis shared what information she had on the Decepticon forces with Ironhide. Her knowledge was incredibly accurate and she even knew several bits of information about Cybertron in general.

"Clear this up for me," she had asked at one point, "Did Primus create the Allspark or did the Allspark create Primus?"

"Ha, if I could answer that, I would be the greatest Cybertronian philosopher," Ironhide had chuckled. "That is a question no one can answer anymore."

When the plane came to a complete stop and the hanger door opened on to the tarmac, Epps led the humans to one of the main buildings while Ironhide and Bumblebee left to rejoin the other Autobots. Bumblebee seemed a little reluctant to leave Sam, playing 'One Is the Loneliest Number' as he drove away.

As the group approached the main building, two figures emerged and waved at them. Sam turned red when he realized it was his parents. Even though he was glad to see that they were safe, he really hoped they wouldn't embarrass him in front of the soldiers. Of course, that was only wishful thinking.

"Sammy! Sam! SAMMMMYYY!" Judy Witwicky called, both arms flailing in the air. "Sammy, get over here!"

Sam started walking faster in order to reach and silence his parents. Mikaela and Alexis hurried to keep pace while Epps just watched, knowing from previous encounters that the reunion between the Witwicky's was going to be an entertaining one. Indeed, he could see several other soldiers waiting just inside the building, close enough to eavesdrop without looking like they were.

"Oh, hey Alexis. What are you doing here?" Judy asked, noticing her niece for the first time. "Wait, stop right there. There's some stuff in there you're not allowed to see-"

"I know about the Autobots," Alexis said.

"Oh, never mind then. Hi, Mikaela."

"Hi Mom. Hey Dad." Sam studied his parents. He could tell something wasn't right. His mother looked ecstatic while his dad looked deflated. "What's going on?"

Judy giggled while Ron groaned. "You're going to be a big brother."

Pause.

"What, you're getting another dog?"

"No, silly. I'm pregnant."

Pause.

"No," Sam said. "You're joking."

"I wish," Ron muttered. "I'm going to have to return the home theater. All my plans, ruined!"

"Congratulations," Mikaela offered. Judy just kept giggling.

"How-No, when did this…What?" Sam asked.

"Well, when the Autobots called us in I decided to have a word with Ratchet about my menopause. Or what I thought was my menopause. I told him that I wanted him to stop my mood swings and what-not and he just gave me a scan and told me I was pregnant! Oh, Sam, isn't it wonderful?"

"I can't deal with this now," Sam said. "Just, no. Not now." Throwing his hands in the air, Sam stalked off into the main hanger, Mikaela close behind.

"What got his underwear up in a bunch?" Judy asked. Alexis just shrugged at her before joining her cousin in the hanger. She had barely entered when a tall man stopped her.

"And just where do you think you're going, little girl?"

"Uh, into the hanger?"

"Wrong! This is a strictly confidential base. No one gets in or out unless I give the say-so. And that means-"

"Simmons!" The tall man turned around to see Sam.

"What is it now, kid? I'm busy doing my job."

"Yeah, well right now your _job_ is harassing my cousin. Let her in."

"Your cousin? Ah, yes," the man, Simmons, said. "I can see it now. You have the exact same-" he stopped, staring at the two to find a physical similarity, "-last name."

"Very impressive deduction. Did you figure that out from your years of training at Sector 7 or from your mother?" Mikaela asked, appearing at Sam's side.

"Watch it, criminal. As the new director and liaison to the President, I have the final say on who gets security clearance and who doesn't. That means I could have all of you kicked out with one word."

Sam just rolled his eyes and waved Alexis over to him. Simmons watched the trio recede into the building.

"Damn Witwickys. They're everywhere on this base!" Ron and Judy happened to walk past him at that moment. "And they're breeding!"

* * *

Gathered around some desks stacked with computers, Major William Lennox greeted Sam, Mikaela, and Alexis. He pointed to some chairs and had them sit. Several others were already seated at the table, including Epps. Simmons followed shortly after them. Last to arrive was Optimus Prime. As he transformed from a truck into the true leader of the Autobots, Alexis couldn't take her eyes off of him. Even though she had met Megatron and several Decepticon warriors before, nothing compared to Optimus Prime.

"Alright, let's get this briefing started," Lennox said, clapping his hands together. "We're all here because Megatron has made threats against us. Specifically, it appears that he wants to capture his human enemies for some sort of torture. That means -Who are you?"

"Sam's cousin. Just, go on with your speech," Alexis said, waving the major on.

"Right. Uh, anyway, we're all going to be stuck here until we find out why Megatron wants us."

"Aside from revenge?" Sam asked.

"Based on out intel, he is picking his victims due to history with Transformers. Anyone who fought against him is a target. However, there might be more than revenge on his mind. We think he wants humans in general for some sort of…experimenting."

"Why?" Mikaela asked.

"Megatron has never been sympathetic to your race," Optimus said. Alexis, who was already in awe of the Autobot, was even more impressed by the strength and power of his voice. "He sees all humans as inferior, although we know otherwise. We have considered that he wants humans in order to determine if they can be used as servants. Aside from that, we believe he wants to experiment in order to develop a weapon to wipe out all humans on Earth in one crippling attack. If he accomplishes this task, he will be able to take over your planet and steal all your resources in his attempts to create artificial energon."

Everyone was silent after Optimus' speech. The idea of Megatron creating a super weapon to kill all humans was horrifying, as was the fear of bondage and enslavement to Decepticons.

"What are we going to do?" Sam asked. "You can't protect every person who could ever be considered a target and their friends and their family. Can you?"

"We are doing the best we can," Optimus said. "Agents have been dispersed to keep surveillance on potential victims. Those who are in the most immediate danger are being brought here."

Mikaela looked worried. "Is my dad on that list?"

"Your little humping friend is taking care of him," Simmons said. This didn't reassure Mikaela; the Decepticon-turned-Autobot named Wheelie was hardly a fighter. Hell, her _dog _could do more damage than him. "We're even brining in Leo."

Sam resisted a laugh when he heard that. For months, his roommate had whined and begged Simmons to get to see Diego Garcia and the rest of the Autobots. Simmons, of course, had refused, even though the two had developed a unique friendship with one another.

"To top that all off," Lennox continued, "is a recent distress message we received from Autobots who claim to be stranded on Cybertron."

"The message indicates that there is hope for restoring the planet. Unfortunately, we have not been able to confirm the message or its origins as true."

Several of the humans shifted at hearing the news. If Cybertron could be restored, then the Autobots would no doubt return to their home world. This created a mixture of emotions, as some considered it the end of the fighting with Decepticons while others knew they risked losing friends and comrades forever. Only one human didn't react.

"Optimus Prime," Alexis said, "I can confirm the authenticity of your message."

"How can you do that, little one?"

"I just need a phone."

* * *

A/N: I could write dialogue for Optimus all day. Decepticons in the next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I still do not own Transformers. I keep calling their offices but they seem to be blocking my number…

A/N: To Kibble Beast, I got the name from _Armada_. This chapter will reveal why.

Chapter 8

Sam stared at his cousin in surprise. How could she help verify a subspace transmission?

"If I could have a cell phone, I can call a Decepticon," Alexis said, looking at the humans seated around her. "He'll know whether or not the message from Cybertron is real."

Everyone sat in silence. No one seemed to believe what the young girl had just said.

"You're on speaking terms with a Decepticon?" Lennox asked.

"Not all of them. The one I have in mind is different."

"What, another one turned into a pet?" Simmons asked, ever the cynic.

"He's not a pet. I just need a phone that is secure, so it can't be tracked."

Optimus knelt before the human girl. Behind him, Sam could see that the rest of the Autobots had come into the hanger. Although he recognized many, there were a few he hadn't seen before. One that sent a shiver down his spine was a police cruiser, eerily reminiscent of a run in he'd had with a Decepticon called Barricade. The Autobots transformed, and Sam was pleased to see that the robot mode for the police car looked nothing like the Decepticon. It was this Autobot who spoke first.

"Calling a Decepticon is a bad idea, regardless of how safe the communications are," he said. "Especially if she cannot be trusted."

"Prowl," Optimus said, waving his hand to silence the bot. Although Prowl fell silent, some other Autobots began to speak as well.

"Optimus, there is no guarantee that this Decepticon source won't betray us," Ironhide said. "They have tricked us before with false promises of peace."

"If the message is a trap, it seems unlikely that any Decepticon would reveal the truth," Ratchet added.

Although he heard the words of his comrades, Optimus acted as though he hadn't. Instead, he faced Alexis and made sure she looked directly into his optic lenses.

"I know that you, Alexis Witwicky, were tricked by the Decepticons. You put yourself at risk by warning Sam of the trap Megatron had planned, and you even gave Ironhide important information regarding enemy forces. However," he said, careful not to sound accusing, "do you know for certain this Decepticon is on your side?"

Alexis closed her eyes. "'Do not judge a warrior by stature or action until you truly understand that which drives him'. That is a passage from one of your own texts. The Decepticon in question only wants to ensure the survival of all Transformers. He fights for all rather than one faction. He just happened to have been aligned with the Decepticons in the beginning."

"What is the name of this Decepticon?"

"Starscream."

Everyone was shocked into silence. In the case of Prowl the shock was literal, and he crashed to the floor in surprise. The other Autobots immediately began to protest. Lennox tried to get the group to quiet down but it proved impossible. There were simply too many upset Autobots to be controlled. It seemed that every single one had a bad word to say about the jet.

"He has betrayed his own master, why would he not betray us?"

"Optimus, he nearly killed you when-"

"-the battle at-"

"-when he-"

"Enough!" Lennox shouted over the cacophony of noise. "Optimus?"

"Come with me, girl," Optimus said. Alexis dutifully followed, purposefully ignoring the glares coming from the Autobots vehemently against Starscream. Sam looked at his cousin with concern. He wondered if she even had half a clue as to the atrocities Megatron's second-in-command had done.

For nearly twenty minutes, Optimus and Alexis conversed in private. Looking at the two figures was a strange juxtaposition; Alexis looked like an ant when placed beside the Autobot commander. Sam was suddenly struck by the thought of Alexis meeting Megatron and how truly diminutive she must have looked then.

The two finally returned to the main group. Alexis went past her seat to where Lennox was standing.

"Based on what Alexis has told me, Starscream is our only option." Before the Autobots could protest, Optimus gave his reasoning. "We shall arrange a meeting point, one where we will have the advantage. Alexis will instruct him to come with his weapons offline. If we detect that they are active, we will shoot him out of the sky."

Alexis nodded in agreement before turning to Lennox. "Do you have a phone I can borrow?"

The Autobots remained quiet. Even though Sam knew they were unhappy with Optimus' decision, he knew they'd respect it. It was one of the fascinating details about the Autobots; they were truly loyal to those they trusted. Sam just prayed their trust wasn't misplaced.

Alexis began to exit the hanger with an old cell phone in hand. Sam nodded to Mikaela and both began to follow the younger girl. She didn't acknowledge them right away, as she was busy taking the phone apart in order to insert a small, silver chip. Sam stopped her before she turned on the device.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Um, yeah. I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't."

"Oh, no. It's a good plan. I just mean, are you sure you want to call Starscream?"

"Yes, Sam, I'm sure. What are you getting at?"

"I'm just not sure you know who Starscream really is. What he's done."

"Really? What he's done? I know everything he's done."

"And you still trust him?" Sam asked. Mikaela back up a few feet. After three years around Ron, Judy, and Sam, and knew when a Witwicky meltdown was eminent.

"Yes, I trust him. And do you know why?" Alexis turned on her cousin, suddenly seeming a lot taller than she was. "Because I talked to him. For three years. For three years I knew there were aliens on this planet. And who could I talk to about it? No one but Starscream. You, on the other hand, you had so many people! You had your girlfriend, your parents, the Autobots, this army, hell, you had Optimus freaking Prime! Forgive me if I trust the one being in this universe I could be completely honest with." With that, Alexis stormed off to make her call.

Sam stood with his mouth open until Mikaela pushed his chin up. "She's got a point. I think Starscream is her Bumblebee."

"No," Sam said. "Bee's different. He's a good guy."

"And to her, Starscream _is _a good guy. Besides, Optimus seems to trust her judgment."

"I just hope it doesn't bite us all in the ass." Mikaela wrapped her arms around Sam.

"Me too."

* * *

Within half an hour, NEST forces were mobilized. Sort of. Only twelve human soldiers, led by Lennox and Epps, were going with the Autobots to meet Starscream. Sam and Mikaela were going along as well, since Sam insisted that he be allowed to watch out for his cousin. She would be the one waiting for Starscream in the middle of some forests on the mainland. If Starscream proved treacherous, she would warn the Autobots.

While they waited for Starscream to arrive, Sam and Mikaela waited with Bumblebee behind some low brush. The young Autobot seemed anxious to see Alexis alone in the clearing, knowing that a dangerous Decepticon was approaching. Even though he had only really known Alexis for a day, he was already bonding with her just as he had with Sam and Mikaela.

"What if that was me," Sam wondered aloud.

"What do you mean?" Bumblebee asked.

"I mean, what if what's-its-name, Barricade, had tried to befriend me instead of kill me," Sam elaborated. "What if the Decepticons had gotten to me first and lied, like they did with her?"

"I definitely wouldn't be your girlfriend," Mikaela joked. "And Bumblebee wouldn't be your guardian."

This seemed to upset Bumblebee even more than he had been before. He quickly moved closer to Sam, as if daring the universe to remove his charge from his care. Sam laughed.

"I don't think Decepticons would have stopped you from becoming my car," Sam said. "Or my friend."

At these words, the Autobot started leaking blue fluid around his optic sensors.

"Hey, Bee, no crying. A Decepticon's on his way and you're going to let him see you like this?" Bumblebee quickly lowered his protective helmet, hiding all emotion from his face.

There was a faint hum coming from the air. It started to grow louder and Sam knew Starscream was about to arrive. Craning his neck towards the sky, he tried in vain to see the jet fly in. In the clearing below, Alexis seemed completely at ease when the Decepticon touched to earth less than ten feet from where she was resting.

"I came with my weapons offline, as asked," Starscream wheezed. "Where is Optimus?"

Stepping out from between the pine trees, the Autobot leader stood well above the Decepticon.

"I am ready to hear your terms."

"It's about time."

Alexis stood between the two giants, looking as if she was used to such a scene. From behind the trees, Sam could just make out the other Autobots tightening their circle as Optimus stepped closer to Starscream.

"We received a transmission from Cybertron that there is hope for the planet yet."

"What do you need me for then?"

"Is the message true or one of your master's traps?"

"I assure you, it is no lie. That same transmission is the reason for Megatron's recent…hunting activities."

Behind some rocks, Lennox and Epps took interest in the conversation. Everything sounded like it was about to come together.

"What is Megatron's plan with the humans?"

"He wants to use them to determine the best way to exterminate them. He then plans to take all the fuels of this planet back to Cybertron. He believes it can be converted into enough energon to bring the homeworld back to full strength."

"Full strength?"

Starscream nodded. "We have already confirmed that, somehow, the planet is online. But if it is not imbued with energon soon, it will fail. As will we."

"You think he's telling the truth?" Mikaela whispered.

"I don't know. He's telling an awful lot," Sam said.

"Why are you telling me all this?" Optimus asked, seemingly reading the minds of everyone in the clearing. "What do you gain?"

"The survival of our species. Since leaving Cybertron, no hatchling has survived. Before long, there will be no Autobots or Decepticons left. As to what I personally gain," Starscream continued, "I want command of the Decepticons."

"Big surprise," Ironhide mumbled.

"Megatron is all that stands between me and that position," Starscream said. "With him eliminated, our factions can unite in order to save our planet."

"Can you not convince him that a truce is the best solution?" Optimus asked.

"He hates you too much, Prime," Starscream said in a raspy laugh. "Your best hope now is to get your Autobots to Cybertron, with energon, before Megatron can complete his weapon and wipe out the humans. If Cybertron is restored, we can go back to the good old days where our civil war was contained on our own planet."

Optimus considered Starscream's words. Alexis kept glancing between the two behemoths, unsure if she should speak. In the forest, the other Autobots and humans also thought about everything that had been said. If Cybertron was saved, the war would leave Earth for good, and everyone could go back to their normal lives.

"You have given us a lot to think about, Starscream," Optimus said. Sam couldn't tell from his voice whether or not he believed the Decepticon.

"Will you then give me something?"

"What?" Optimus asked, genuinely surprised.

"I can't exactly return to Megatron now. He'll have figured out that I've betrayed him."

"Not that hard to do, actually," Ratchet muttered to Lennox and Epps.

"Regardless of your decision, I would like to stay at your base. I'll even keep my weapons offline if you wish."

Now Optimus was stuck in a real dilemma. His warriors had been against the very ideaof just _talking _to Starscream. He could only imagine how they'd react to the Decepticon at their quarters. Still, if Starscream was truly defecting from Megatron, then it was the least he could do.

"Something will be arranged. Autobots, roll out!" Optimus ordered. "We'll be keeping an eye on you, Starscream."

"I trust you will, Prime." Both Transformers stared at each other. Neither was willing to turn their back on the other, despite all that had transpired between them.

"Hey, Starscream," Alexis suddenly piped up, "I'm going to ride with Optimus back to base, okay? I'll see you there."

The Decepticon seemed taken aback. Recovering quickly, he nodded his head before transforming into jet mode. On the ground below him, Optimus had already become a truck. The young girl climbed into his cab with little difficulty.

"Thank you, Alexis. It seems you were right. Even if we can't entirely trust him yet," Optimus said.

"Don't thank me yet. He could still decide to fire on you."

"I doubt that," the Autobot said quietly. He had seen the way Starscream had reacted to the girl's comment. It was akin to Bumblebee's responses to Sam or Ironhide's to Lennox. Even though Starscream was a Decepticon, he did care, somewhere, for the human girl.

* * *

A/N: The plot thickens! Hopefully the next chapter will be more fun than this one.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. If you can change that, feel free to give me a call.

Chapter 9

The Autobots and humans of NEST were once again gathered around their briefing tables. Starscream's information, if accurate, meant that they had a lot of planning to do in very little time. Specifically, they had to find a way to return to Cybertron with converted Energon before Megatron completed his doomsday device.

Sam and Mikaela were present at the proceedings, but Alexis was noticeably absent. She had elected to stay outside the hanger with Starscream, both to keep an eye on him and ensure no Autobots gave him trouble. Thankfully, the matter at hand seemed more important than past rivalries with the former Decepticon.

"What's the plan?" Major William Lennox asked. Even though he was used to reaching joint decisions with the Autobot leader, this time it was all up to Optimus.

The Autobot rubbed his nose, knowing a difficult task awaited him. There were many options of action available, but some were not logistically feasible. They could abandon Cybertron, as they had already done once before, and simply stay on Earth to defend the humans, or they could return in order to end the stalemate with the Decepticons. There was one major disadvantage with each plan, and Optimus pushed his circuits to the limit in order to determine the best compromise. Of course, he continually hit the same road block.

"The best plan would be to send as many Autobots as possible back to Cybertron with energon. Some will remain here in case Megatron decides to strike in our absence."

Several soldiers gulped when Optimus said 'in our absence'. None of them liked the thought of having to face Decepticons without the Autobot leader by their side.

"How will you get there?" Lennox asked.

"I do not know. Although we began construction on a ship when asked to leave your planet, we have not completed enough of it to traverse through space."

"You could just borrow a shuttle from NASA," Sam offered.

"Unfortunately, our size is a hindrance there," Ratchet said. "Your human space craft could hardly transport a single Autobot, let alone all the fuel needed for the trip. Even if we attached our ship's engines to one of your shuttles, it is unlikely to work."

"Hold that thought," Simmons said, jumping up from his seat. Everyone groaned; no doubt they were all about to get another Sector 7 history lesson.

The former secret agent ran to his small office (nothing more than a glorified cubicle in reality) and began pulling out boxes. Most of his collection remained hidden beneath his mother's butcher shop, but he had made certain to grab the most important documents in his move to the Autobot base. One such document was firmly clenched in his hand as he ran back to the briefing tables.

"How much of your ship is done?"

"Only the engines. We have been unable to secure the all necessary ores to form a large enough hull," Ratchet answered.

"That's good, that's good," Simmons said.

"How is that good?" Sam asked. Simmons smacked him in the face with a manila folder.

"That's why it's good."

Sam opened up the file and began looking at the pictures inside. After a few moments of studying them, he turned them upside-down to see if he would have any more luck identifying them. Simmons snatched them back in a huff.

"Amateur," he muttered. "These are Sector 7 space explorers." He handed out some of the photos to Optimus and Lennox. "We call them _Ghost II_, _III_, _IV_, and _V_."

Everyone huddled together to get a look at the images. Although it was hard to make out all the details, it appeared that there were four monstrous ships sitting in an underground hanger.

"What are these from?" Lennox asked.

"Back in the sixties, we managed to reverse engineer a ship from NBE-1. After it was successfully launched, construction began on four more for deep space exploration. Unfortunately, _Ghost I _was lost, and the rest of the project was scrapped because no one dared to send another crew up into God knows what. So these poor suckers just waited around, grounded forever."

"Are they intact?" Ratchet asked.

"Mostly," Simmons shrugged. "A few pieces missing here, a few salvaged there. With your tech I'm sure you can hobble something together."

"Where are these located?"

"Well, they're not exactly available," Simmons stuttered. "I don't even know where they are. When Sector 7 shut down, all our facilities and contraband were, well, confiscated. I think."

"Can you find them?" Lennox asked.

"Gee, I don't know. I thought you guys took them."

Lennox rubbed his face in frustration. Just when he'd started to think that Simmons was competent, he pulled something like this.

"Does it look like we have four giant spaceships lying around?" Epps asked in irritation.

"Calm down, calm down," Optimus interjected. "If these ships still exist, we will find them. Ratchet, will you be able to combine our engines with these hulls?"

Ratchet examined one of the photos Simmons had provided. "It looks simply enough. And several Autobots should be able to fit in each vessel, along with our energon cargo."

"Even if you can fix them up," Simmons continued gently, knowing he had reached the end of Lennox's patience, "you might have some trouble working them."

"Why is that?" Optimus asked, sounding tired with the human.

"The controls were built by humans…for humans. You're going to need a human crew for each of the ships." Simmons looked around at the suddenly silent room. "I for one would be more than happy to take one up."

"We will see about that," Ratchet said. "I suggest we find the vessels first before we determine any crews."

"Agreed," Optimus nodded.

* * *

A/N: This is a lot shorter than the last one, but the next chapter will be up soon. There will be some fun in the next one, I promise.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. I offered them $10, but they demanded a few million. Little do they know I am an expert when it comes to price haggling.

A/N: To be clear, my idea of Arcee is the convoluted idea that she is both one and three individuals. She can have one collective consciousness, but she is also three separate robots. Now that everyone is confused (including me), let's get started!

Chapter 10

While Optimus Prime, Ratchet, and Seymour Simmons attempted to track down the four Sector 7 spacecraft, the other Autobots decided to have a series of training sessions. Most were fashioned after sparring matches, with partners or teams facing off with 'safe' weapons. In reality, the firepower of the practice weapons was enough to keep all humans off the battlefield. They stayed in the relative safety of the marked out-of-bounds area. Some were even trying to make the event more entertaining by placing bets on which Autobot would win their sparring matches.

Currently, it was Arcee versus Skids and Mudflap. The three sleek, colorful motorcycles ran circles around the Twins, who tried to vain to time their shots to knock any of the femmes off-balance. Instead, the only ended up shooting each other.

"Hey, man, what was that for?" Skids yelled, reacting to a shot to the leg.

"Sorry, I thought you were a chick," Mudflap responded.

It was in this moment that Chromia, Arcee's blue 'sister', decided to attack from behind Skids. She barreled into him with a force that made Ironhide, watching from the sidelines, quite proud. Mudflap remained unimpressed with his twin.

"Dude, you got taken out by a femme!"

"Just like you," Arcee chirped, blasting the dimwitted bot. As he fell forward, the three 'sisters' came together for high fives. But the Twins weren't done.

"Quick, bro, combine!" The two raced over to each other and began to match parts. Their faces, normally odd-looking, formed one perfectly proportioned face. Their formerly asymmetrical bodes were now mirrored exactly, revealing one new, larger Autobot. Arcee groaned.

"Not this again."

"Haha, face our wrath, bitch!" One of the voices said. "I am Skidsflap!"

"Hey," a second voice said. "We agreed it was Mudskids!"

The large bot suddenly dissolved into two smaller ones who were beating each other up.

"I'm older, I pick the name!"

"We're twins, you idiot! Neither is older!"

"I'll show your face who's older!"

Forgotten, Arcee glided back over to the sidelines. "They do this every single time."

"You don't need to tell us about it," Judy Witwicky said from her lawn chair. She was sipping on some cool orange juice. "They always fight about who gets to go in the garage on which nights and who drive me and who drives Ron. It's really childish."

"Nothing is worse than being in the five o'clock traffic jam than being in a traffic jam with those two," Ron added. Even though he had been upset when he learned Judy was pregnant, he was still waiting on her hand and foot as they watched the nightly 'entertainment'. He had a cooler full of foods that the soldiers had picked up for him earlier in the day, foods that he knew Judy would be craving just as she had with Sam. Sure enough, she was asking for a turkey sandwich even though the entire base had been given dinner only an hour earlier.

Resting on Bumblebee's hood a few feet away, Sam and Mikaela also watched the Autobot training sessions. Even though they were all laughing at the antics of the Twins, a feeling of guilt was growing in the pit of Sam's stomach. He couldn't help but think that this was where Bumblebee belonged, able to fight and spar and play with the other Autobots whenever he wished, not just when Sam was in danger. Taking the hand that wasn't already wrapped around Mikaela from his lap, he patted the Camaro's hood before letting his hand rest there. Bumblebee responded with a gentle rev from his engine.

When it became clear that Mudflap and Skids weren't going to finish anytime soon, the other set of Autobot twins, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, sped out to separate the two.

"Now that they're off the field," Ironhide said, relief in his voice, "Who wants to go next?"

"Mind if we go?"

Sam jumped in surprise when he saw Alexis, followed closely by Starscream. How had they managed to sneak up like that?

"You mean…You want to spar?" Ironhide asked Alexis. He sounded confused. None of the NEST humans wanted to participate in sparring matches, so why would this little female?

"Yeah. Sam, you and Bee want to go against us?"

"You and _him_? Wait, what are we going to do?"

"Don't you and Bumblebee practice fighting together?"

"No," Sam scoffed. Alexis looked confused.

"How do you defend yourself?"

"Bee defends me."

"What if he's busy?"

"I run."

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Are you in or what?"

"I want to live, thank you very much," Sam said.

_I will protect you-_

"Shut up, Bee, we're not doing it."

The Camaro nudged Sam forward. Mikaela quickly hopped off the hood and joined Sam's parents. Bumblebee kept pushing Sam towards the practice field.

"Bee, no. I have no idea what I'm doing!"

_Duck and cover, that's what you do!_

"Not helping," Sam hissed.

Alexis tossed a gun to Sam. He caught it by the barrel and stared at it. He had never been interested in guns, and he had no clue what type he was holding. He could only hope that it was loaded with fake bullets.

"Are these blanks?"

"No, they're beanbags. Not fatal, but still painful if you're hit," Alexis explained. "I recommend not getting hit."

"Easy for you to say."

The two bots and two humans headed onto the practice field. Bumblebee stayed in his car mode while Starscream turned into a jet and began circling the other three from above. Alexis, who was holding her own beanbag gun, turned to Sam.

"Okay, what are the rules? I've never done this with anyone but Screamer before."

"Screamer?"

"Shut up, Sam. What are the rules?"

_Knock three times…Win a prize at the fair!_

Sam instantly understood what Bee meant. "How about the first to get three hits loses?"

"The first human to get three hits or first team to get three hits?"

"Uh, human?"

"Then let's get started!" Sam groaned at hearing his cousin's enthusiasm.

"I'm going to die."

From the sidelines, Ironhide began to count down from ten. Sam gulped. Each second he came closer and closer to what he feared most. Even if this was only a pretend fight, it would still bring back all the unpleasant emotions from his various run-ins with Decepticons. Facing Barricade, being harassed by Frenzy, hunted by Megatron-

"Woo, go Sam!" Mikaela called from the sidelines. Sam's confidence peaked as he heard a few more cheers for him coming from the safety of the hanger. He even heard his mother give a cheer for Witwickys in general.

"Three!"

Alexis gave Starscream a thumbs up.

"Two!"

Sam started to back up closer to Bumblebee.

"One!"

Alexis turned her back on Sam.

"Go!"

Sam turned to get behind Bee when a gush of air knocked him over. Starscream had flown over him incredibly fast…and had scooped up Alexis from where she'd stood. Bumblebee transformed into robot mode in order to see where Starscream was flying.

High above them, Alexis settled into the cockpit. She ignored the seatbelt and gripped her beanbag gun tighter. She hated this next part. Pulling a loop, Starscream lined up a trajectory that he predicted would put Alexis right above their target…and he released the hatch keeping Alexis inside.

"HOLY SHIT SHE'S FALLING!" Judy screamed, knocking over her juice and plate. "Ron, do something!"

"What can I do?"

"Get a blanket! We'll stretch it out to catch her!"

Mikaela covered her mouth with her hands. Starscream really was a traitor, and the one person who'd trusted was going to die because of him.

Sam was frozen with fear. He knew it would be impossible for his cousin to survive that fall. Even if Bumblebee caught her before she hit the ground, she would still face some serious injury. Bumblebee understood this as well, but he still moved away from Sam in order to better line up with the girl.

Oblivious to the drama unfolding below her, Alexis remained calm and collected as the wind whipped her small frame. Unlike the spectators, she knew exactly what she was doing. Spreading out her body to produce drag, she aimed her gun at the ground, particularly at the speck she believed was her cousin. She released three shots in rapid succession, not even breathing as she pulled the trigger.

On the ground below, Sam squinted to see what Alexis was doing. He would have thought that she would be flailing around or screaming but it looked as if she was in control of her fall. It suddenly occurred to Sam that Alexis might have planned this. His thoughts were confirmed when two small object smashed into his chest, knocking the wind out of him. He doubled over in pain, narrowly and unknowingly avoiding the third beanbag that would have ended the game.

"Bee!"

Back in the air, Alexis rolled her body so that her feet were now aimed at the ground. Swooping in to catch her was Starscream, who flew up underneath and caught her in his cockpit. He sealed the chamber and allowed Alexis a few moments to catch her breath. No matter how many times she practiced, she still wanted nothing more than to throw up after that particular maneuver. Of course, she managed to keep it down for Starscream's sake.

"Two confirmed hits," Ironhide said from his position as referee.

"They planned that?" Lennox asked in amazement. He had to give the girl credit: he knew plenty of soldiers who wouldn't attempt such a stunt, especially during a routine training exercise.

Mikaela wiped an escaped tear from her face before anyone could see it. Judy, however, didn't hide her emotions at all. The already unstable woman had collapsed back in her chair when Starscream had retrieved Alexis, and she was bawling. Ron tried to comfort her, but there was nothing he could do against her raging hormones.

"We are so telling her father what she's been up to."

Back on the playing field, Sam ran behind Bee, who was aiming his 'safe' cannons at the speeding jet. Starscream expertly avoided the shots before coming in and flying straight at Bumblebee. Bee jumped up in the air to grab the jet and was carried away, leaving Sam unprotected where he stood. He continued to watch the two bots fight, oblivious to the fact that his cousin was now standing right behind him.

"You lose, Sam" she said, shooting the final beanbag into his back.

"Where'd you come from?" Sam cried, his voice cracking from both the surprise and pain.

"Starscream dropped me off right when he picked up your Autobot. I can't believe you didn't see me."

"Never do that again," Sam groaned.

"Do what?"

"Drop out of a flying robot. Just, don't."

"No promises," Alexis smiled.

Back on the sidelines, Lennox and Epps watched the two teens walk back with impressed looks on their face. They really hadn't expected her to be able to fight, let alone trust a Decepticon with her life. It was a moment before they realized Ironhide was looking down at them.

"What?" Lennox asked.

"Major, would you like to try-"

"Hell no. There's no way I'm sparring with you." Ironhide continued to stare at him. "Damn it, what do you want me to do?"

* * *

A/N: See? I promised there'd be fun. Right? This was fun?

Well, at least Starscream and Bee got some action!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Primus damn it.

A/N: To VeronicaD13, your questions beat this chapter to the punch! (If you've seen _Armada_, that'll help define my idea of Starscream. For now.)

Chapter 11

While Alexis and Starscream took on Ironhide and (a reluctant) Lennox, Mikaela pulled Sam aside for some first aid. Even though the beanbags weren't intended to hurt that bad, one had managed to puncture the skin.

"No offense, but your cousin kicked your ass," Mikaela said as she put disinfectant on a cotton ball.

_That little shorty's burning on the…battlefield._

"It was completely unfair," Sam protested. "Starscream can fly and we were stuck on the ground! We could have won…"  
_Winning isn't everything…It's the only thing!_

"Hey, it's not my fault she has damn perfect aim!"

"You know what I don't get," Mikaela said, dabbing Sam with the disinfectant. "Why does she know how to do any of that?"

"They must've been training."

"But why?" She looked back at the practice field where Lennox, unlike Sam, was keeping even with the aerial team. "I mean, did they plan on going into battle someday?"

"Uh, I don't know-"

"It makes no sense. The Decepticons hate humans, yet here he is flying her around like he's her chauffer. Something is weird about that."

"Yeah-ow! Watch where you put that."

"You're such a baby, Sam."

"Hey, maybe he never threatened her. She's a nice girl who can be a little odd. I wouldn't put it beyond her to befriend an evil alien."

_Maybe he…makes the good girls go bad._

"Ew, don't say it like that, Bee." Mikaela laughed at the horrified look on Sam's face. "You're making it sound dirty."

The Autobot shrugged it off. He knew what he meant. Since arriving on Earth, he had noticed that certain humans had an affinity for Transformers, and the same was true of them. Ironhide, who had once considered 'eliminating' Ron and Judy Witwicky, had become inexplicably close with Major Lennox and his family. Maybe Starscream had that same natural connection to humans. Maybe that was why he had finally switched sides after a lifetime of insubordination beneath Megatron. Unfortunately for Bumblebee, he had been unable to find any Earth songs to convey that thought.

Mikaela slapped a band-aid on Sam and gave back his shirt. "They have a good idea though."

"What's that?"

"You and Bumblebee have been together for three years, but he's always guarding you. Maybe he should teach you to defend yourself."

Before Sam could begin making excuses as to why that was a bad idea, someone called his name from the hanger. Looking over, he was surprised to see it was Leo, crutches and all. Exchanging a glance with Mikaela, he headed over to his roommate.

"Hey, someone want to tell me why the Secret Service took me from my hospital suite?"

"I thought you wanted to be here," Sam said.

"I don't know where here is. The grunts who brought me in kept saying our location was 'top secret'. Wait, are we- No way!" Leo hopped in a circle, taking in the Autobots, weapons, and soldiers. "_This_ is Diego Garcia? _Dios mio_, it's better than I imagined! Where are the bunkers?"

"What bunkers?"

"Simmons told me that everything is stored in bunkers a mile underground. He said it was almost magical, like the Land of the Lost."

"Uh, they're over there," Sam said, pointing in a random direction. Leo almost fell off his crutches as he tried to see where they were. He was caught by an older man wearing a well-pressed suit.

"Thanks, man. Shit!" Leo's eyes were wide with surprise. "You're the former…former…Supreme Court Judge?"

"Try former Secretary of Defense," a young woman with an Australian accent said. A sort of chubby black man was standing behind her. "I'm Maggie Madsen, this is Glen Whitmann, and the man holding you up is John Keller. Hey, Sam."

"Hi. What are you doing here?" He was a little surprised to see the former SecDef and the two CIA analysts. He hadn't seen them in over two years, when they had been part of the same tour group at Sector 7 headquarters beneath the Hoover Dam.

"Same reason as you," Keller said, letting Leo go after straightening him on his crutches. "They're worried that we could be potential targets for Megatron. And, now, who are you?"

"That's Leo 'Pon de Replay' Spitz. Just ignore him," Simmons said, joining the group.

"That's not funny man. My name is a big deal. Leonardo Ponce de Leon Spitz. I'm the web master at-"

"The Real Effing Deal. Yeah, I've hacked your site before," Maggie said, shaking Leo's free hand. "No offense."

"Baby, you can hack my site anytime." Sam rolled his eyes. It seemed nothing would stop Leo's various attempt to get his Spitzy freak on. Not even a trip to the hospital.

"What happened to your leg?" Glen asked, deliberately taking Maggie's hand in his as he did so. Of course, nothing but engagement and wedding rings seemed capable of stopping Leo from flirting with attractive women.

"This? Oh," Leo turned away, trying to act humble. "Just, saving a couple of kids from getting hit by a car."

"Really?" Simmons asked. "I could have sworn you got it tripping down some steps outside your campus library."

"On my way to the kids," he countered.

"How's that search going? Sam suddenly interrupted. Even though Simmons and Leo were 'friends', they still got off-track easily.

"Found 'em. They were right where I left them."

"Where you left them?"

"You know what I mean. We're arranging to move the parts the Autobots completed for their ship to the _Ghosts. _We'll be out of here in no time. I'm finally going up into space."

As Simmons walked away, Sam hurried over to join him. A little surprised, Mikaela followed, leaving Maggie, Glen, and Keller at the mercy of Leo's boasts about saving the world.

"Sims, wait up!"

"What did you just call me?"

"Sorry. I just wanted to know, who's going up?"

"Up-where?"

"To Cybertron."

"Sam-" Mikaela started, but Simmons beat her to the punch.

"Kid, this isn't some joyride around the solar system. It's a serious rescue mission."

"That's why I want to go," Sam said. "I owe it to them."

"Then I'm going too," Mikaela said, taking Sam's hand firmly in hers.

"I strictly forbid it."

"Mikaela, let's see what Optimus has to say about that." With that, the two teens headed off to find the Autobot leader. Simmons was left standing with a stunned expression on his face.

"Kids today with their alien robots. No respect for their human elders."

* * *

A/N: That's it for now. Enjoy!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Sigh.

Chapter 12

The next morning, Lennox rounded up his troops. The night before, Ratchet had determined that every ship would need a minimum of five humans, meaning he needed a total of twenty soldiers. He was nervous that no one would volunteer, since he was only their commander on the ground and not in space. Fortunately, several men were more than willing to go with him to Cybertron. At the back of his mind, Lennox hoped that they'd all make it back intact. It was intended to be a rescue mission, but a gut instinct told him it was more than likely that it wouldn't be that easy.

Loading up onto the airplane with the soldiers were the three civilian volunteers, Sam, Mikaela and Simmons. Although Lennox would have rather left them safe on Earth, they'd managed to convince Optimus Prime that they should be allowed to go. Simmons insisted he go because he was the only one trained to fly the ships, and thus would be needed in case anything went wrong on any of the vessels. Sam and Mikaela had argued that, since Megatron would only continue to hunt them on Earth, it would be safer for them in outer space.

I doubt that, Lennox thought. But he would keep his mouth shut as long as the teens stayed out of the way on the trip to Cybertron.

Epps sat next to the major and began strapping in. "You nervous?"

"About going on a deep space mission to a planet of giant robots?" Lennox paused. "Nah."

"So where are these ships located?" Epps asked.

"You won't believe me."

Ironhide transformed into truck mode and rolled into his position for the flight. Epps raised an eyebrow. "Try me."

"They're in the Grand Canyon."

"Do not tell me they're at the bottom."

"Of course not. They're hidden underneath the bottom."

Waiting for his turn to board, Sam was facing an awkward good-bye with his parents. Judy, already on an emotional hair-trigger, was threatening to have a full meltdown. Then again, any parent would be a little overexcited to learn their child was going to venture into outer space with a bunch of alien robots. Ron, for his part, was taking it rather well.

"Make sure you keep your helmet on at all times."

"Dad, the Autobots said Cybertron's atmosphere will allow us to breath," Sam said for the hundredth time.

"Keep it on. Just in case."

"Sammy," Judy cried. She couldn't finish whatever she had started to say, as she broke down sobbing. "I just uh huah uluhve and and miss you!" She pulled Sam into a backbreaking embrace. "Promise huah you'll huah be huah saaaafe!"

"Mom, it's okay," Sam said gently. "Let me go."

"No," she cried, burrowing her head into his shoulder.

"Seriously, I can't breathe."

Judy relinquished her grip and wiped the tears from her eyes. Ron wrapped an arm around her for support. They both waved as Sam got on the plane to join Mikaela.

"And no space sex!" Judy suddenly yelled. Sam froze where he stood as every eye and optical lens on the plane turned to him.

"Thanks, Mom."

* * *

When the planes arrived in Arizona, followed the entire way by Starscream in jet mode, they were greeted by Ratchet. He had been there throughout the night with Prowl, connecting the necessary circuits from the Autobot engine to the human vessels. The planes had to land at the nearest base to the canyon, and then they all had to gently maneuver down the steep sides to get to the entrance to the underground bunker.

Hidden behind a deep crevice was a set of large, iron doors. It was strategically placed so that it was in one of the most inaccessible areas of the canyon, and it was virtually invisible from above. As the humans and Autobots stepped through, Simmons took it upon himself to give the tour.

"Now, I've never been here myself, but I know every detail about this facility."

"Where are the bathrooms?" someone called out, and when Simmons couldn't answer everyone laughed.

"We'll see if you're still laughing when your ship is destroyed and you don't know where your escape pod is. Now, as I was saying-"

"Is he always like this?" a female voice asked Sam.

"I think so-Shit! Lex, how did you get here?" Somehow, Alexis Witwicky had appeared at his side.

The younger Witwicky smiled. "Hitched a ride with Starscream. Look, I know I'm not allowed into space, but I at least wanted to see the ships."

Sam rubbed his face. His family was going to be the death of him. "You can't just sneak into a secret facility."

"I didn't. I walked in with the rest of the tourists."

"You, in the back, shut up! The information I'm giving you is the most important of your lives," Simmons yelled from the front of the group. "I'm going to be showing you how to operate the ships, so you better listen!"

"If he's qualified to fly these things I bet anyone could," Mikaela whispered to Sam.

"Zip the lip!" Simmons called.

"He has hearing like a bat," Sam muttered. "Incredible."

The humans and Autobots spent the next half-hour being shown around the bunker. They got to see each of the _Ghost_ ships and who would be on which one. Sam, Mikaela, and Bumblebee would be making the journey in _Ghost II, _with Simmons piloting. Being the largest of the remaining ships, _Ghost II _was being treated like the flag ship of the little fleet.

_We will go to the moon._

"You got that right," Sam replied to Bee, craning his neck to study the ship. Although the basic design bore a striking resemblance to Megatron, Ratchet's auditions had made the ships look more like a conglomerate between the two factions.

After assigning everyone to their ships, Simmons led the humans away to a small, old-fashioned locker room. He pulled several old jumpsuits out of a locker and started handing them out to the soldiers nearest to him.

"What are these?" Lennox asked.

"You spacesuits," Simmons answered, as if it were obvious.

"These flimsy things?" Epps sounded incredulous.

"Ah, but these are special suits. Before you-" he pointed at Sam "-destroyed the Allspark, we used it in several experiments. You've seen what that radiation does to electronics. This is what it does to fabric."

Simmons grabbed a soldier's gun and aimed it at the suit. He noticed everyone crowded around him for a better look. "You might want to back up."

The soldiers of NEST didn't need to be told twice. They knew better than to mess with something alien, even if it looked harmless.

Simmons pulled the trigger. The bullet bounced right off the suit and ricocheted around the locker room.

"Why aren't our uniforms made out of that?" Epps griped.

"These were heat tested as well. In theory, you could fall through Earth's atmosphere in one of these without even feeling the heat."

"In theory," Lennox repeated.

"Well, we were never able to test it. Not with a live subject."

"You got helmets to match?"

"Do we ever!" Simmons looked like a kid on Christmas. He pulled out a helmet from the nearest locker. They were styled like motorcycle helmets, but with a few bits of technology added on. "Breathing apparatus built right in. With this on and that suit, you could practically live in space."

"Alright, everyone get a suit and make sure it's secure. Once Ratchet gives us the go-ahead we'll head out." Lennox paused. "Er, up."

Sam and Mikaela quickly got their suits and helmets and found a corner to put them on.

"You know what I just realized? We're going to be one of those cheesy couples who dress in matching outfits," Sam chuckled.

"My greatest fear realized," Mikaela said. "Where'd your cousin go?"

"Maybe Simmons kicked her out," Sam said, looking around the locker room. "You ready for this?"

"Not really. I never really dreamed about becoming an astronaut."

"What did you dream of being?"

"A ballerina."

"It's not too late for that." Sam gave Mikaela a kiss. "If you decide to pursue it, I will gladly help you stretch and stuff."

"Like I'd let you."

* * *

A/N: The ultimate road trip begins next chapter!


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Whoop-de-do, want to fight about it?

Chapter 13

Once the humans were all suited up, Optimus Prime surveyed the mixed troops. He wished they had more time to prepare, but they knew they had a small window to take off, before hundreds of tourists swarmed the canyons for the day. Fortunately, the human vessels had been perfect receptors for the Autobot engines. It had been a rather simple matter for Prowl and Ratchet to connect everything.

"Comrades," the Autobot leader began, "the mission on which we are about to embark is one of great importance for my race. Should we prove successful in our endeavor, your planet will finally be left in the peace it enjoyed before our arrival."

"It wasn't that peaceful for us," Epps muttered.

"Ratchet, show them the flight plan."

Emitting a holographic map, Ratchet began to talk them through the journey. "After exiting the Earth's atmosphere, we will head towards Mars. There, we will use the Decepticon space bridge terminal to transport directly into Cybertron's orbit."

"Space bridge?" Lennox asked.

Sam gulped. He remembered the last time he had gone through a 'space bridge'; it was when Jetfire, a geriatric Autobot had taken them from the Smithsonian to Egypt in the blink of an eye. Of all the injuries he had received in Egypt, having half his hand burned by crazy, teleporting robot definitely topped the list.

Well, except for the part where he'd died. But that had been temporary.

"Space bridges are…I suppose you would call them teleportation devices," Ratchet said. "A more accurate name is space bridge, as-"

"Got it," Lennox quickly interrupted. "Is that it?"

"That is hardly 'it'," Ratchet said, sounding flustered.

"There is the high possibility that Decepticons will be monitoring the area," Ironhide took over. "I modified the ship's weapons to allow us to take on any challengers."

"Teams," Optimus said. "Roll out!"

With that, everyone headed towards their assigned ships. Sam and Mikaela followed Optimus to _Ghost II_, where Simmons, Lennox, Epps, and two other soldiers were also loading. Prowl was shouting over everyone, directing the containers of converted energon to their respective cargo holds. They had previously decided that _Ghost V _would carry the majority of the fuel, while the other three ships held the returning Autobots. Sam could see Sideswipe and Sunstreaker helping their humans on _Ghost III_, while Arcee directed containers being brought aboard _Ghost IV_. Everywhere he turned, humans and Autobots were working in harmony to ensure the mission went off without a hitch.

Entering _Ghost II_, Sam was amazed by the many consoles and by the sheer amount of buttons. It was like every geek's wet dream. He noticed there were only five chairs, the largest of which Simmons had already settled himself. Sam couldn't resist the easy target.

"Hey, Kirk, where's Uhura?"

_Message from Starfleet, Captain. _Sam laughed at Bumblebee's sound byte. He then laughed harder at Simmons' angry eyes.

"You better watch it, kid. I'm not afraid to leave you stranded in space."

Gazing around the impressive cockpit, Mikaela did a quick count of the chairs compared to the crew. "Where do we strap in?"

Bumblebee answered by transforming back into a Camaro. He opened both of his doors and the teens climbed in.

"Space: Drive-In Edition," Sam joked. From his familiar seat, he watched as everyone else took their positions on the ship.

Optimus and Ironhide proved a little too tall to stand upright, so both were forced to stay in their vehicular modes. Ratchet, perhaps out of politeness, did the same. Lennox and Epps strapped themselves into the chairs on either side of Simmons while the two other crewmen took seats in front of two very large switchboards.

_Engage._

Sam and Mikaela chuckled. Bumblebee then buckled the teens in, making sure they'd be ready for whatever space had to offer.

Simmons looked around the cockpit, making sure everyone and thing was accounted for. After a quick check over the communication devices with the other ships, he started the countdown sequence.

"Everybody, helmets on!" Simmons voice blazed over the communications system. "Coordinates are entered in, and here we go!"

The enormous doors that hid the ships from the world suddenly opened, and Sam could feel the hum of immense engines as the ship came online. Moving with controlled precision, Simmons lightly touched a joystick and the ship lurched forward.

"I'm still getting used to it," he said when Lennox gave him an accusatory look. "I'll learn as we go."

Then, Simmons somehow managed to get the ship out into the bright outdoors. Sam was suddenly worried that the mission might end there; there was no way Simmons would be able to get them out of the Grand Canyon without crashing into the sides.

Somehow, the former agent managed to get the ship out without too much damage (although everyone had cringed as the vessel and canyon made contact with an incredibly loud crunch). The ship steadily rose higher and higher, until it fully emerged into the sunlight.

That's when Simmons swore.

Parked a few yards away from the edge of the canyon was a minivan. That wasn't cause for concern. It was the four people screaming inside it that were the problem.

"Eh, too late now," Simmons sighed. With that, he hit a series of buttons and the ship surged upwards into the atmosphere.

The family in the minivan was completely horrified by what they'd just seen. Needless to say, they weren't reassured when three more behemoths and one jet came flying out of the canyon as well.

"Those looked just like the things we saw on the freeway two years ago, Mom!" One of the children yelled.

As the ships went higher and higher, Mikaela grabbed Sam's hand. He suddenly wished that he hadn't already secured his helmet, or he could have given her a comforting kiss. Instead, he had to settle on giving her hand a little squeeze as they both watched the sky get closer and closer.

In a matter of minutes, the ships (and Starscream) were in space. Lennox turned in his seat to ask Simmons if he should increase speed when he saw the agent's face. Simmons, the self-proclaimed tough guy and hero, was crying like a baby in the captain's chair.

"Simmons?"

"This-has been-my dream," Simmons sobbed. He tried to wipe the tears from his eyes but his hands simply hit his helmet.

"Are you fit to fly this thing?"

"Yes!"

Lennox tried to rub his eyes but was blocked by his own helmet. He really couldn't wait until they got to Cybertron and could get away from each other.

"Our trajectory has us arriving at the Mars…space bridge…in 12 minutes," one of the soldiers reported.

"Are we sure this is going to work?" Lennox asked, almost more to himself than to anyone else. Through the view screen, he saw Starscream lazily pull into position in front of the _Ghost _fleet.

"It better," Ironhide said. "If not, my cannons are already locked on to Starscream's radioactive signature."

* * *

A/N: Sorry, I couldn't resist throwing in the freaked out family. Thanks for the R&R!


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. If I did I wouldn't be working at an ice-cream parlor.

A/N: Space bridges change in every continuity. Imagine this one as you will.

Chapter 14

As the Autobots and NEST moved closer to the space bridge terminal on Mars, the Decepticons hiding on one of Saturn's moons were making battle plans. Specifically, Megatron was plotting his revenge. Fortunately for his human enemies, all of his malice was focused on a different traitor: Starscream.

When the girl had failed to bring Sam Witwicky to him, Megatron had started to doubt his second-in-command. The Seeker had continually insisted that the girl-child could be trusted, yet she had betrayed them at the first opportunity. Before that betrayal had even cooled off, Starscream had disappeared as well, no doubt to join the Autobots.

This left the Decepticon leader furious and his subordinates terrified. Even though everyone knew of Starscream's treacherous nature, this was the first time he had so permanently acted upon it. That left Megatron questioning the loyalty of each of his subjects.

A disembodied voice suddenly echoed through the Decepticon ship, _Nemesis_. "Soundwave reporting."

"I pray you have good news," Megatron growled. "I'm not in the mood for failure."

"You will be satisfied," Soundwave said. "Starscream has been detected heading for the space bridge terminal."

"Alone?"

"He is followed by four vessels of Earth origin. Scans show a contingent of Autobots and organics. There are twenty-three humans and-"

"Is Prime among them?"

"Confirmed."

"Decepticons, go!" Megatron howled, not even formulating a plan. "It's time to give Starscream his punishment."

Those nearest to the Decepticon commander could have sworn that he seemed happy. It was a frightening sight.

* * *

As the _Ghost _fleet continued on towards Mars, Sam decided that he could safely unbuckle his seatbelt and wander the deck. Mikaela got out as well, allowing Bumblebee to transform into his robot mode. Stepping towards the view screen, the teens watched as the red planet got bigger and bigger. For a moment, Sam felt the full weight of the moment. How many children around the world- Hell, how many _adults_ dreamed of one day going into space?

Trust Simmons to ruin the moment.

"Hey, what did I say to you two? Stay out of the way!"

"We're not in the way," Sam responded. Simmons got up from his chair to confront the boy helmet-to-helmet.

"Do you even know where you're standing? If we were attacked, you would have blocked me from reaching our primary weapons system. Our blood on your hands."

Sam rolled his eyes. Clearly, Simmons was uncomfortable sharing his lifelong dream with his longtime enemy.

Mikaela suddenly grabbed Sam's arm. He turned to her and she mouthed something to him. Unfortunately, it was hard to see through her helmet. She quickly nodded her head to direct Sam's gaze to the back of the cockpit. Someone was walking out from behind the Autobots. Normally, this wouldn't have been a cause for concern or any of Mikaela's urgency. He did a quick head count, missing Simmons' latest threats. Lennox and Epps were talking by Ironhide and the two other soldiers were monitoring their screens. Who the hell was that? Then Sam realized how short the person was. Too short to be a NEST soldier.

"No, no, no, no, no!" He ran over to the figure only to have his worse fears confirmed.

Alexis Witwicky was onboard the _Ghost II. _

"What are you doing here?" Sam yelled. His spit bounced off the screen on his helmet, so he quickly took it off. He was too upset to care about his father's warnings now.

"Completing my mission," the girl responded, removing her helmet as well. She shoved past Simmons and studied one of the control panels. After a minute, she started pushing buttons and turning dials.

"Whoa, what the hell are you doing here and what the hell are you doing?" Simmons angrily demanded. "Do you have any idea what you're even doing?"

"Course correction. You would have missed the terminal and collided with the base with the course you entered." Her response was cold and emotionless.

"And how would you know that?" Simmons pestered. Lennox and Epps quickly came over, removing their helmets as they took in the scene.

"My master told me."

"Starscream?" Mikaela asked.

"No, he is my partner."

Behind them, Optimus and Ratchet transformed. Although it was quickly cramped for the Autobots, the discomfort was worth solving the latest complication.

"Who is your master?" Optimus asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Prime."

Sam froze. This was not the same girl who had looked upon Optimus with adoring eyes only two days before. His thoughts raced back to the memory of Alice, a Decepticon Pretender who had tried to take advantage of him in order to extract the Allspark information in his head. She had appeared to be human. What if the Decepticons had created another Pretender based off of his cousin?

Before Sam could openly speculate, Alexis was in the grasp of Ratchet. The medic gave her a quick scan, initially over her entire form but then narrowing in on her head. He nodded in comprehension before changing his grip to get a firm hold on Alexis. He raised a finger which quickly split into several smaller, medical tools. Then, with no warning, he shoved several of them up Alexis' nose.

Sam gagged while the others looked on with a mixture of disgust and curiosity. Giving a sharp tug, Ratchet removed his tools and gently placed Alexis down. Her face was pale and her eyes were closed. Except for some shallow breathing she could have passed for dead. Slowly, a trickle of blood appeared beneath her nose. Sam knelt down to check on his cousin while everyone else turned to Ratchet for an explanation.

"It seems someone implanted a cerebro-strip into the young female." The humans waited for further clarification. "You would call it a 'mind-control device'."

"What? How long was she being controlled?" Mikaela asked.

"Based on the length," Ratchet said, revealing the two inch long strip he had removed from Alexis, "I would estimate it was installed less than a week ago."

"That's when she met Megatron," Sam muttered. "Could he have planted that…thing?"

"Only an Insecticon can install these. But this is not of Decepticon design."

"Ghost II, _this is _Ghost III. _What's going on? You missed the entrance point._" A voice cackled over the communication system. Simmons jumped at the voice and headed back to his chair.

"We had a slight, eh, distraction. You all get to the terminal. We'll bring up the flank."

"_Roger that. Over._"

The humans looked out to see that Mars had taken over the view screen. The other three ships were all ahead of them, headed towards a dark mass on the surface of the planet. The terminal. Starscream also flew into view.

"Could _he_ have designed that thing?" Ironhide asked. "This could be a trap-"

"No," a feeble voice said. Sam turned his attention back to Alexis. Her eyes fluttered open. "He's controlled too."

"Who did this to you?" Optimus asked. His voice, which had been demanding before, was now incredibly soft and safe.

"I don't remember." A few tears ran down her cheeks. "The past three days are hazy. I remember doing things but not why I did them."

"That is the intent of the strips," Ratchet said. "I should be able to determine how it was made and who made it back on Cybertron."

As he said this, a bright light lit up the cockpit. Outside, the first of the _Ghost _ships had passed through the space bridge. Next to the terminal was a transformed Starscream, controlling the bridge's power and coordinates. A shiver ran down Sam's spine. If this was all an elaborate trap, Starscream could be sending them to their death through that bridge.

"We're going through!" Simmons shouted. White light engulfed the ship, and then everything was black.

* * *

Watching Starscream follow the last vessel through the space bridge, Megatron let out a throaty laugh. The fools were headed to Cybertron! He would have his two worst enemies (rather, his worst enemy and his greatest nuisance) at his mercy. Revenge would be at hand.

A/N: I hope you liked the twist!


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Grr…

A/N: Don't worry, I've planned this from the beginning…Mostly.

Chapter 15

Optimus Prime was known for his ability to make difficult (and often correct) decisions on the battlefield. There were rare instances where he failed, yet things tended to work out for the better in the long run. Now Optimus was unsure of himself. He had sent a small collection of soldiers into a situation they were completely unprepared for. Any casualties would weigh entirely on his broad shoulders.

Alexis Witwicky and her Decepticon companion were under the control of an unknown entity. At least, Alexis _had _been under the control of something. With the removal of the cerebro-strip, she appeared to have literally regained her senses. Unfortunately, she was unable to explain precisely who or what had implanted the device within her mind.

What should have been a triumphant return to his homeworld was now marred with fear. Even as the familiar sights of the Cybertronian skyline came into view Optimus was preparing to order the _Ghost _fleet to turn around and return to Earth. With each passing astrosecond he became more convinced that this was, in fact, a trap. Before he had the opportunity to inform Simmons of his decision, a series of beeps filled the cockpit.

"I think we're about to land!" Simmons yelled out, struggling with the controls. On the surface below, the other three ships had found an empty space to gather. Fighting the ship, Simmons managed to bring the _Ghost II_ in near to the others.

That was all he could do.

The transformed Autobots did their best to protect the humans with them, although the cramped quarters weren't helpful. Bumblebee, of course, secured Sam and Mikaela within seconds of the ship failing. Ratchet pulled Epps and Lennox into himself, calculating exactly where to cover them to ensure the least injuries possible. Simmons was safe in his chair and Alexis found herself pinned down by Optimus Prime himself. The other two soldiers remained strapped into their chairs, monitoring the entire crash through a series of changing computer screens.

For Sam, it was not how he anticipated arriving on Cybertron.

When the ship finally came to a screeching halt, everyone was slow to disentangle themselves. Smoke was enveloping the craft, but it seemed to be more from friction than fire.

"And he stuck the landing!" Simmons cheered. After receiving a series of glares, Simmons decided to be the first to exit the ship and walk on Cybertron. For him, it was the greatest accomplishment he had ever achieved. He, Seymour Simmons, was the first human to walk upon an alien planet. Then he noticed the human soldiers from the other ships walking around with the Autobots. His shoulder sank. "Why does the universe hate me?"

Sam, appearing at his side, smiled. "Cause you're a dick?"

"Don't push me, kid."

While the Autobots gathered to hear what had happened on the _Ghost II_, all of the humans studied the planet with awe. The city they were in was simply enormous in proportion to the humans. Some of the larger structures even dwarfed the Transformers. Everything was greater than a hologram, no matter how advanced, had been able to project. Sam couldn't help but wonder where Bumblebee had lived and hoped that, barring incident, he would be able to see it for himself.

"Where are we?" Sam asked.

"Cybertron," Epps answered, his usual wit unable to hide his awe.

"I meant where _on _Cybertron."

"The city of Simfur," Alexis said, her voice still quiet from her recent procedure. "It is one of the larger cities."

Lennox tried to remember the crash course Ironhide had given him before the ships had taken off. He knew that Cybertron was roughly the size of Saturn, and that Trypticon was once the capitol. At the moment, that was the extent of his knowledge. A single Cybertronian building the size of Manhattan was enough to distract anyone from the matters at hand.

The Autobots, though thrilled to be home, were completely focused. Especially as Optimus revealed that their entire rescue mission might be nothing more than a nefarious set-up. No one was reassured by the fact that Starscream, who had seemingly gone through the space bridge, was nowhere to be found.

"No doubt he was summoned back once the cerebro-strip was removed from his partner," Ironhide mused. "The next time he appears I'm going to blast him."

"Now, Ironhide," Optimus chastised, "he isn't acting under his own control. He cannot be held accountable for his actions."

Ironhide ignored this and focused on his cannons. Starscream would pay, regardless of 'accountability'. His past actions were more than reason enough for that particular jet to be permanently put offline.

"Ratchet, have you determined the origin of the device?" The medic only shook his head. This was cause for concern; if Ratchet couldn't identify some technology, then there was no doubt that it was a technology neither race had encountered before. "Then we have no choice but to return to Earth as fast as repairs will allow."

There was an outcry amongst the Autobots. None seemed too happy to be forced to leave after such a short reunion.

"The threat is too great. We cannot risk the unknown. Not with the humans."

"Optimus," Ironhide said, "why not leave a few Autobots here with the energon to scout? Return the humans until the threat has been verified."

The Autobot commander nodded in approval. Ironhide's plan would be the safest for their human allies. And if there had been any legitimacy to the distress call they'd received, they might still do Cybertron some good.

After the humans recovered from their initial awe, they began to remember the task at hand. Several returned to removing the energon supplies from their respective ships, while Lennox began to question Alexis for information.

"Are you sure who don't know who set this up?"

"Some of it is coming back." Alexis kneaded her fists into her eyes. "It sent a robot to Earth ahead of him to set the trap. He planted that thing in my head." She shivered at the memory. "That's it!" Her eyes snapped open. She stood up, swaying a bit as she adjusted to the feel of metal beneath her feet, and headed over to where the Autobots were holding council. Sam and Mikaela quickly followed behind her.

"Optimus Prime?" The leader looked down at the small, human girl. "I remember. He said he wants the energon. It's a being called Unicron."

* * *

A/N: Sorry if the big reveal wasn't that big. What can I say, I'm an _Armada _fan.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. I can't even make a joke because that fact is so cripplingly sad.

A/N: It might look like there are contradictions to my earlier chapters. The account here is the true version, not one made-up by a mind-controlled human.

Chapter 16

Starscream was infamous for his disloyalty. However, he was now cruelly being forced to bend his will to that of a demigod: Unicron. It was the worst punishment imaginable for the ambitious jet. Since becoming ensnared by Unicron's psychic connection, he had tried and failed repeatedly to break their bond. First, when he had been forced to enslave his human companion, again when he had to submit to Optimus Prime and the Autobots, and a multitude of instances in-between.

Now he fought the hardest. His latest order? Destroy the space bridge terminal.

There were several reasons that Starscream hesitated to blow-up the terminal. First, Cybertron was completely out of energon. Earth was the only option for refueling, no matter how little it quelled his first. Second, there were mostly Autobots on the planet, as most of the Decepticons had joined Megatron's troops at the _Nemesis_. He would hardly win in a fight against the new planet majority. Third, it would be the death of Alexis Witwicky.

Although he would never admit it, the lowly organic had grown on him. Before learning the location of both his master and the Allspark, he had hidden himself on a US Air Force Base. He had chosen the location because a Witwicky was listed as operating from there. Upon arriving, he determined that the man, Charles, did not have the glasses but did possess offspring. The girl-child had been assigned to clean several other F-22's at the base. When she had reached him, he had revealed his nature to her in order to determine whether or not she knew about the glasses. Frightened, Alexis Witwicky had revealed that they belonged to one of her cousins. Second later, Barricade and Frenzy had reported the same finding.

Leaving the startled girl behind, Starscream had dismissed her from his circuits. He had been certain that she would not reveal his presence to anyone. That would have been the end of their interactions, had not fate intervened. Following the battle at Mission City, Starscream was in desperate need of repairs. Alexis Witwicky, with knowledge picked up from years living on base, had proved an unlikely ally. Unaware that he was the 'enemy', she hadn't hesitated to help him. Over the years that followed, he had come to her first for surreptitious reconnaissance and information on her cousin and the human race in general. Alexis had remained blissfully unaware of her devious role until last week, when he had lost his mind to Unicron. Then, he had been forced to inform Megatron about the girl-child and help devise a plan to use her as bait.

Starscream loathed it all. He wished to Primus that he had never grown attached to the organic but it couldn't be helped. Had he never contacted her, Unicron would have nothing with which to exploit him. However, now he would use that relationship to his advantage.

With every wire in his being, Starscream fought the demigod that was screaming orders at him. He would not destroy the terminal. He had to allow Alexis and the others to escape back to Earth, away from Unicron. He had not been able to disobey before, but if anyone could deny their master, Starscream was the one to do it.

While Unicron and Starscream battled internally for control over the body, the terminal sprang to life. The figure that emerged was enough of a distraction for Unicron to take over the jet body and fly Starscream away from the scene. It was a good thing, too, as Megatron would have certainly destroyed his former second-in-command had he the chance.

As the Decepticons assembled and awaited orders, Megatron surveyed the surface of the planet. Just as the Autobots had, their forces had intercepted the message claiming that Cybertron was still online. From what he could tell, there seemed to be the faintest trace of truth. He would have expected rust to have completely overtaken the landscape by now, yet many structures were still shimmering in the fading sunlight. Somehow, their planet had survived.

* * *

The Autobots waited in silence as they comprehended what the human girl had just told them. Many of them were struck by fear at the mere mention of Unicron, as his very existence could doom them all. The humans, however, were left to wonder at what the big deal was.

"What's Unicron?" Sam asked, breaking the tense silence. He had a feeling that he wouldn't like the answer, but he still needed to know.

"Unicron is the greatest legend known to our race," Optimus began. Many of the NEST soldiers took a knee, understanding that they were about to hear a long history of the Transformer's race. "Back when we were all but sparklings and the Allspark was safe in a temple, there was a dark shadow cast upon our planet. The threat presented by Unicron was not to be taken lightly: eons older than our earliest ancestors, his plan was to consume and destroy the universe. The thirteen original Primes managed to dispatch and cripple Unicron, and we thought his threat was no more. Yet it appears we were wrong."

Sam gulped. The fear he had experienced when he'd first learned of Megatron resurfaced. Now it was intensified by the idea of something worse.

"Why destroy the universe?" Lennox asked. "Why not conquer it?"

"He enjoys his privacy," Ratchet said sarcastically. "Many of us had dismissed him as nothing more than a warning, a youngling's story."

"If he exists, he will be a great problem," Ironhide mused. "He was said to be as large as our moons combined."

Almost every human turned their eyes up in hopes of seeing the multiple moons. One was visible, and it must have been twice the size of their own moon. More than one soldier swore. Then Simmons noticed a second, smaller sphere.

"Are those your two moons?"

"One is. I cannot identify the smaller one," Ratchet said, following Simmons gaze.

"Is it just me, or is it getting bigger?" Mikaela asked.

_That's no moon. It's a space station._

Sam cast a glance at Bumblebee. That sentence was not reassuring in _Star Wars_ and it was not reassuring now.

"It's Unicron," Optimus Prime said, his voice sounding tired. He cast a glance back at the _Ghost _ships. The flagship was too damaged to travel, and that meant that, if he ordered a retreat, many of the Autobots would be trapped on the planet to fight Unicron alone. If he didn't evacuate the humans, then many more would die in an impossible fight. Then he realized the resources he had overlooked: in his hopes to protect them, he had forgotten the advantages to having human allies. A plan quickly formed in his mind.

"Alexis, do you know why Unicron is after the energon?"

"He needs it to survive. He used to feed off wayward bots and whatever other energies he could find," the young girl said. "With all of the Transformers in our solar system, he had run out of fuel."

"How the hell do you know all that?" Simmons demanded.

"When he was in my head, I was in his. Sort of."

"What else did you learn while in captivity?" Optimus asked.

"Just, images. Fragments of thoughts."

"If a group of humans were _inside _Unicron, could you locate his spark?" Alexis thought before nodding. "Then there is hope. One of the ships will take you up. While we fight to keep him from attacking Cybertron, you will lead your group to his sparkchamber. The only chance we have against an enemy that size is to completely take him offline."

"You're not sending her up without me," Sam quickly demanded. Mikaela placed herself by his side to show her stand on the issue. Lennox rolled his eyes. One day he would teach these teens that they couldn't continue to insert themselves into military operations. Of course, it had ever let them down before.

Everyone looked back at the skies. The once little sphere had managed to grow larger, approaching at an incredibly fast pace. A much smaller speck was flying towards it into space. Although the humans couldn't tell, the Autobots with their optical enhancements could see that it was Starscream. Optimus grimaced. It would be one thing to take on Starscream alone, but an entirely different matter to take on the jet and Unicron. Since they didn't know exactly what weapons the behemoth possessed, Starscream could prove a deadly distraction in the upcoming battle.

"Major Lennox," Optimus said, "Assemble a team. The rest of you, follow Prowl to shelter. Ratchet, begin any necessary repairs to the vessels. Should events take a turn for the worse, evacuate those on the planet." And pray to Primus we don't fail, he added silently.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, and sorry this chapter took a while. The fighting begins next chapter!


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. But I do own the happy voices in my head :)

A/N: I'm going by the theory that Transformers can survive in space without special gear. They maneuver by using their exhaust ports and sort of floating around… Just go with it!

Chapter 17

"Lord Megatron, why do we not attack?"

The Decepticon commander allowed a weary sigh to escape his vocal processors. Starscream might have been treacherous, but at least he could follow simple logic. These other mechs seemed to have trouble in that department.

"You see that approaching sphere?" Nods. "That is none other than Unicron. Now," Megatron continued, ignoring the fearful outbursts of his followers, "Prime will no doubt attempt to defeat the Dark One. Thus, our attacking now would be inopportune."

"Wouldn't this be the best moment to steal the energon? Half of the Autobot forces are headed into space!"

Megatron hit his subordinate. "No! We have no chance against Unicron. So, we let the Autobots kill themselves while we wait. If they succeed, we attack before they can recover. If they fail, then we escape through the bridge and destroy it from the other side, in effect sentencing them all to death. The Earth will then be ours to conquer."

The Decepticons all understood now. Either way the upcoming battle would turn out, they would come out on top. What none of them could understand was the look of almost sorrow on their Lord's face.

_Brother, _Megatron thought to himself, _I wish you luck. If for no other reason than that I may terminate your spark myself. _

* * *

Optimus Prime suddenly became alert. He had felt a sudden sensation deep in his sensors, but he quickly dismissed it. He had no time to consider fleeting feelings when the _Ghost III _was about to enter into battle with the greatest enemy his kind had ever known.

Simmons was equally nervous for a completely different reason. He had decided to pilot the ship on this suicide run, and he was worried that he would be in over his head. The controls were simple enough for any human who had been in a flight simulator, but Simmons knew this flight would be more difficult than any he'd made before. The Autobots were all scrunched in, filling every nook and cranny of the ship. The ten humans who would infiltrate Unicron were safely sealed inside the car modes of the bots. Stashed everywhere in-between was the extra metal the Autobots had quickly gathered from the surrounding buildings. That metal would be used to allow them to reenter the atmosphere outside of the vessel, just as many had arrived to Earth. The ship, though advanced, was meant to hold five to six humans. This current load was just a little over the recommended weight limit. Simmons prayed it wouldn't cause them to crash.

"Everybody ready?" he called. At this point he didn't care. The giant ball of robot death that was fast approaching was far too big in his mind. He really didn't relish seeing it up close.

The humans all made sure to secure their helmets and turn on their comm. units. Sitting safely buckled within Bumblebee, two Witwickys and Mikaela waited for takeoff. Epps and Lennox were nervously joking about doing the moonwalk on Unicron while sitting inside of Ironhide. The other humans were forced to listen to the exaggerated bragging of the sports car twins, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. None of the humans wanted to think about how they would actually get _inside _the monster.

Slowly taking the ship up, Simmons triple checked his own seatbelt. Even though Optimus' plan sounded simple, he was greatly worried about what could go wrong. One was that he would get sucked out into space. Even though his suit and helmet would keep him alive, he didn't like the thought of just floating around while a battle raged on around him.

"Hey Bumblebee," Mikaela said quietly. "Want to play some tunes? You know, calm us down?"

The Camaro gave an inquisitive click.

"I don't know…How about that new song I heard?" Mikaela offered.

_I'm drunk on margaritas-_

'No," Sam quickly interjected. "Don't encourage him, Mikaela."

"What?"

"He needs to play more guy songs." Mikaela arched an annoyed eyebrow. "You know, good rock. Not lame pop songs."

_If today was your last day, tomorrow was too late-_

"That's better, Bee," Sam said, satisfied. Then he listened closer to the lyrics. "Er, maybe a happy rock song?"

_That'll be the day_, Bee replied before playing another song that neither teen could object to.

"Sam," Mikaela said, "I love you."

"Uh, me too." Sam glanced back at his cousin, but she was preoccupied by something in her hands. That was good. He didn't want her to hear anything mushy.

"Say it."

"I love you." Mikaela smiled and took Sam's hand in her own. Then they both turned to look back out at space and the giant, metallic moon.

"How are we going to get inside?" Lennox asked. Ironhide shifted, the closest he could get to a shrug in truck mode.

"I don' think I want to know," Epps replied.

Simmons slowed the ship. He didn't want the _Ghost III _getting too close, just in case Unicron attacked first. They waited for several tense minutes for something to happen. Instead, a deafening voice engulfed the ears and audio receptors of all on board.

"_**I WILL HAVE THE ENERGON.**_"

The giant sphere began to shift. Despite having seen countless transformations and even the ghosts of the original Primes, Sam could hardly believe his eyes. A _planet _was turning into a _robot._

"Everyone, prepare for the assault," Optimus ordered. The Autobots began to roll into position while Simmons gulped. This was the moment he'd been fearing. His finger hovered over an ominous black button, waiting for the Autobot leader to give the order.

Out in space, a silver blip passed in front of the ship.

"There's Starscream!" Ironhide bellowed. The Autobots watched sharply as the jet disappeared within his master.

"And there's our doorway," Optimus said. "Simmons, release the airlock!"

Saying a quick prayer to no being in particular, Simmons hit the black button. A large hatch at the back of the ship opened up, and the Autobots, with their humans safe inside, tumbled into space. Simmons gripped his seat, waiting for the last robot to pass through before he could seal the ship. As the ship automatically began to refill with breathable air, Simmons looked out the view screen to the most unusual sight ever.

Sitting in the driver's seat of a bright yellow Camaro, Sam was having the exact same thought. It wasn't everyday one got to see so many vehicles just floating around in space. If not for the monster bot, it would have been a pretty funny moment. Optimus and the other Autobots who did not have human passengers then used their exhaust systems to get behind the cars. Sam and Mikaela turned around in order to watch Optimus. Alexis, on the other hand, had her fists clenched tight and her eyes shut. Clearly, space didn't agree with her.

Gripping Bumblebee's bumper, Optimus aimed the Camaro at the opening they had seen Starscream enter. With a mighty push, he sent the young Autobot and his human charges straight at Unicron. Ironhide, Sunstreaker, and Sideswipe followed closely behind. Optimus and the rest of the Autobots then began their job of distracting Unicron.

The gargantuan robot hardly gave any thought to the four human vehicles headed towards its one accessible opening. Instead, Unicron allowed them to pass in order to focus on the threat of Optimus Prime, his Autobots, and the strange space vessel. Raising one arm, he produced a cannon that was easily the size of Asia. The Autobots summoned their own weapons.

Then all Pit broke loose.

Even though Optimus had given the strict order that they only attack if Unicron attempted to harm the humans, Simmons had (literally) jumped the gun. From inside the _Ghost III_, he had gotten anxious waiting for someone to make the first move. As the four Autobots and their human riders had gotten closer to the beastly Unicron, Simmons had started to sweat more and more. He hadn't even realized that he'd initiated the fight until Unicron fired back. Luckily for the hapless agent, Optimus had managed to pull the ship out of the way.

That was the one advantage of battling in space: the smaller being had greater mobility and speed. Objects as large as space vessels could be maneuvered away from harm with a gentle tug. Of course, Simmons had no time to process any of this.

"I'm should've stayed with Momma!" Avoiding another blast from Unicron, Optimus couldn't help but agree.

* * *

A/N: Mwahaha! That's where I leave you, with the fight just starting!

And sorry if anyone had a problem with the songs. I just picked the first ones I could find. And the quote is from John Wayne.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers…Slag.

A/N: I'm not that good at writing fight scenes, so just imagine the battles as you will. I know that's cheating, but I'm feeling lazy.

Chapter 18

For most Transformers, the idea of facing off against Unicron was one of fear and death. For the Autobots twins Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, it was a dream come true. The twins had spent their entire lives fighting Decepticons, and as a result were some of the Autobots most ruthless killers. And now their sole mission was to destroy as much as Unicron as they could from the inside.

"Perfect," Sunstreaker smiled. He was identical to his brother's alt mode in every way, with the sole exception being color. After arriving on Earth less than a week after the defeat of the Fallen, he had decided to pick gold as his paint color to represent that he was number one.

"I call his left side!" Sideswipe called.

"I wanted the left side!"

"I called it!"

"Then I get the Decepticon!"

"At least wait until we're _inside_," Ironhide ordered. Lennox and Epps rolled their eyes. Clearly, the Autobots' weapons specialist wasn't too fond of the twins, despite their shared love of destruction. "Besides, I call Starscream."

The four Autobots and their humans were suddenly lit up by a light. Craning their necks, Sam and Mikaela saw that it was the _Ghost III _who had fired. A second light, far closer and more intense, lit up in response. Unicron was fighting back.

"Come on, come on," Sam muttered, urging Bumblebee on. The Camaro responded by releasing more exhaust, pushing them the final stretch into the opening before them. Somehow managing to maneuver, Bumblebee found a flat surface to land on. Ironhide, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker joined him. To everyone's surprise, the platform suddenly began moving, transporting the group into a sealed chamber.

"What's happening?" Mikaela asked.

"I don't know," was all Sam could say in response. He tried to keep track of all the different tunnels and turns they were zipping by but it proved impossible. Wherever Unicron was taking them, it was deep within and away from the only exit they knew about.

There was a sudden clatter and the platform stopped moving. The humans carefully stepped out of their Autobot companions as a series of lights illuminated the room.

"It appears we are in a sealed area," Ironhide observed as he transformed. "There is even oxygen for you humans."

"We can take off our helmets?" Lennox asked. The Autobot nodded. Exchanging wary glances, the ten humans removed their helmets and were pleasantly surprised by realistically fresh air. Careful to ensure that they weren't lost, the humans hooked their helmets onto the belt loops of their suits that Simmons had shown them back on Earth. The loss of their helmets could prove fatal if the pressure changed.

"Why'd that thing move us here?" Epps asked.

"He thought we were Starscream," Alexis answered. "He wanted to bring Starscream into one of his interior chambers and got us as well."

"Do you recognize this place? From your vision things?" Lennox gripped his weapon tighter as the sound of distant explosions reverberated through the chamber. It sounded like the fight outside of Unicron had intensified.

"I know how to get to his spark from here," Alexis verified. "It won't be unguarded."

"That's why we have these," Epps said, nodding to his own weapon. "We're going to do as much damage as we can the further in we go."

"Some more than others," Sunstreaker said, egging on his twin.

"You wish-"

"Focus!" Ironhide growled. "Make sure to have your humans with you-"

Unfortunately for the five NEST soldiers who had come over with them, the twins had already taken off, blasting and slicing every surface in sight. Ironhide sighed.

"Let's hope we don't need to make a quick escape, or else the return trip will be very cramped." The humans all shifted, now anxious about the idea of all being crammed into only two vehicles on the return voyage.

"Alright, guys, here's the deal-" Lennox stopped when he heard a metallic clicking. Looking for the source, he saw several shadowy figures emerge from the opposite end of the chamber.

Leading a small group of robot drones was Starscream, his plasma cannon aimed directly at the humans.

"Scatter!" Ironhide let out a barrage of plasma as the humans took cover. Lennox grabbed Sam and pulled him behind Bumblebee.

"You have to get to the spark," he ordered the young man. "Take Mikaela and follow your cousin."

"What-"

"We'll hold these things off. Bumblebee," the major turned up to the yellow robots, "Keep them safe. Get to the spark and destroy it!"

Lowering his faceguard, Bumblebee nodded and aimed a few parting shots at Unicron's drones. Then he ran after Sam, Mikaela, and Alexis, who were headed down a corridor on the opposite side of the chamber.

Lennox turned back to the drones at hand. Loading his weapon, he prepared to enter the fight.

* * *

"Hey, Lex," Sam panted, not daring to slow down until the sounds of battle had faded, "How far away is this thing?"

"Not far if we hurry."

"'If we hurry'?"

"There's a shortcut, but if we don't get there soon it'll be gone," Alexis called, pulling ahead of the other teens.

"What sort of shortcut moves?" Mikaela asked.

Without slowing, Alexis began her explanation. "Unicron is a living being. That means he has to transfer energy around his body, just like humans pump blood. Since he's so big, everything transports on an accelerated scale. Since he fired his blaster, there should be a rush of parts there. That means he'll take unnecessary energy from his legs in order to recharge his weapons."

"What-the Hell-does that-mean?" Sam panted.

"It means this is our express ride," Alexis said, stopping in front of a large panel. "If Bumblebee would remove this and transform on the other side, we'll just have to wait a few seconds for-"

Before she could finish, Bee had removed the panel and done what she'd asked. The three teens quickly climbed into the Camaro.

Sam took a deep breath. "So when will this thing-"

A deafening roar surrounded the car, along with tons of metal. The force was enough to send Bumblebee flying down the 'vein', but thankfully not enough to cause him any serious damage.

"A valve will appear shortly. That'll be the spark chamber," Alexis shouted over the din. "If we don't make it, we'll just end up being blaster fuel!"

Sam and Mikaela gripped their seats. They didn't like the sound of being used as a weapon against the other Autobots.

"There it is!" Mikaela pointed to a sliver of light ahead of them. The valve was the size of a football field, but there was a problem.

"It's closing, Bee!"

With a determined engine rev, Bumblebee aimed for the shrinking light. He didn't want to think about what would happen if it managed to close before he got through.

"Faster, must go faster," Sam yelled, shrinking into his seat as he feared the impending crash.

Fortunately, the only crashing they did was on the other side of the valve, hitting the floor of the spark chamber with enough force to rattle the human passengers. Behind them, the valve came to a complete close and the roar of the vein was instantly cut off. The only sound left was an almost gentle hum.

Bumblebee played the theme from _Dukes of Hazzard _to celebrate their success. None of the humans seemed too keen on joining him.

Taking a shaky breath, Sam got out of Bee in order to study the room. It was almost completely made out of wires, all of it linking up to a generator in the center of the room. Floating peacefully in the center of the device was a small orb, no larger than a billiard ball.

Unicron's spark.

"It's so small," Mikaela whispered. Sam nodded. He would have thought that the spark needed to power something the size of Unicron would have needed to be at least the size of a house.

_Maybe he's overcompensating for something?_ Sam couldn't fight the snort that came with Bee's sound clip. Mikaela just rolled her eyes while Alexis stepped closer.

"Something's wrong. It should be guarded," the younger Witwicky murmured.

'Don't jinx it!" Sam said hurriedly, but it was too late. Bursting through the wires, a robot that was pure black appeared, aiming a gun directly at Bumblebee.

Proving his abilities once again, Bee managed to ignore the first bullet the mysterious robot had fired at him. Taking a shot of his own, he was pleased to see it make contract with the enemy's chest plate. What didn't please him was when the gaping hole did nothing to slow the enemy.

_Destroy the spark_, Lennox's voice demanded from Bumblebee's recording. Ducking between Bumblebee's legs, Sam ran for the device that housed Unicron's spark. Mikaela followed, hoping to get out of the way of Bumblebee's own battle. Alexis clung to the wall, hoping that no errant shots would come her way.

"Here, help me up," Sam said, gripping on to the generator. Mikaela laced her hands together, giving Sam the leg up he needed. Reaching into the device, he ignored the tingle that tickled his hands as he tried to grab the spark. "I can't reach it!"

Alexis, seeing her cousin in trouble, ran over, avoiding a blast from the dark robot. Bumblebee had cornered the other bot in the corner, and was doing massive damage. Unfortunately, the other bot didn't seem at all affected by the loss of an arm or a massive hole in its chest.

Sam dropped down from the generator, panting. He shook his head. "It's too high up."

"Can't you climb into it?" Mikaela asked. "Pull yourself up and then smash it!"

"There's nothing to pull myself up with!" Mikaela cast a look over to Bumblebee, but the young Autobot was still busy fighting of the mysterious enemy. If not for that lone defender, Bee could have just taken the spark himself and all of this would be over already.

"You," Mikaela said, suddenly turning on Alexis. "How much do you weigh?"

The younger girl looked startled. "How is that important right now?"

Mikaela tried to wave away Alexis' concern. "I mean, Sam and I could probably throw you up there. You're small enough."

Sam tugged Mikaela's arm. "Are you sure?"

"I was a cheerleader for two years, remember? I had to throw around girls all the time."

"But I didn't. I've never thrown a girl before," Sam protested. "I might not be strong enough…Never mind."

"Put your hands together like this-" Sam did exactly as his girlfriend said "-and on the count of three we toss her up."

"Do I get a say in this?"

"No, now step on my hands," Mikaela angrily demanded. The younger Witwicky squeaked and did as she was told. "One, two, three!"

Alexis managed to grab onto the generator and pull herself into the section holding the spark. Sam and Mikaela watched anxiously, hoping she could destroy it. There was a sudden tinkle, like the sound of glass breaking, and the lights flickered.

"I did it!" Alexis yelled from above. Across the room, Bumblebee found himself pummeling a robot that was now nothing more than dead weight. The lights flickered again and Sam realized the fatal flaw of this plan: if Unicron was dying, how would they get out?

* * *

Back in the chamber they'd arrived in, Lennox noticed the lights go out. He could only hope that it meant that Sam was successful. When the lights kept flickering, he knew his suspicions were right.

"Everyone, helmets back on!"

The drones that they'd been fighting all stopped moving. Even Starscream fell to the floor.

"That little kid did it," Epps said in amazement. "It's over."

* * *

In space, Optimus watched as Unicron's enormous optics dimmed. There were only two explanations: that he was returning to planet mode or had been offlined by Sam. He looked around at his fellow Autobots and hoped it was the latter. Although they had managed to avoid most of Unicron's attacks, Jolt had taken a possibly fatal hit and Arcee was wounded. Simmons and the _Ghost III _were, for the most part, intact. That was most likely due to the human focusing on flying instead of fighting. He had done an admirable job leading Unicron's blaster away from the Autobots, proving that he hadn't been completely lying when he'd said he was qualified to pilot the ship.

Optimus let out a deep breath. Now he just had to hope that the soldiers within Unicron would be able to escape as well.

* * *

"Yes! Unicron is down for the count! And it's all thanks to me," the golden mech smiled, "the all-powerful Sunstreaker!"

This remark was challenged by another. "I fired that last shot before he offlined!"

"Whatever," Sunstreaker said. "We both know who did the _real _damage."

"_You two fraggers get back here now!"_ Ironhide's voice rumbled over their comm.. units. _"We have to get the human soldiers out of here!"_

"Slag, I knew we forgot something!" Sideswipe said, racing ahead of his brother in order to get back to Ironhide and the other first.

"You're not going to beat me!"

* * *

Inside the spark chamber, Bumblebee quickly gathered up his humans in his arms. He headed towards the valve but it was still sealed shut. He looked down at the teens in his hands, and inquisitive whistle asking for help.

"Blast there," Alexis said, pointing to a different panel. '"It'll lead to his neck, and we can get out there."

Bumblebee nodded and the humans quickly secured their helmets. With Unicron offline, they didn't know how long they would still have air or a pressurized atmosphere. Once their suits were sealed, Bumblebee fired at the wall and exited through the hole he created. In a matter of minutes, he managed to find a weak spot that Alexis promised would lead them into space. Transforming back into a Camaro, Bumblebee made sure the three humans were buckled up before he crashed through Unicron's neck and back into space.

* * *

Sitting in _Ghost III_, Simmons cheered as the Autobots slowly came back onto the ship. Well, it wasn't so much cheering as it was a quick wave. He was still nervous about Unicron, as now the gargantuan body was simply floating in space, a mocking smile on his dead lips. Simmons was more than a little tempted to blast it off but he knew that his little ship didn't have that much firepower, no matter how many adjustments Ironhide had made.

When everyone was secure in the ship, Simmons began to bring them back to Cybertron, whistling the entire way.

No one noticed what was wrong until it was far too late.

* * *

A/N: If that all seemed too easy, then keep reading! Decepticons and a surprise await!


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. I do not own Bumblebee's songs. I do own an Optimus Prime notebook and the doodles inside it.

Chapter 19

Ratchet and Prowl awaited the return of Optimus and the others who had fought Unicron. It had been a circuit-wrenching experience, knowing that their leader and friends were up there fighting against insurmountable odds. Worse was knowing that they were too far away to be of any help at all.

The two Autobots and the remaining humans had started work repairing the _Ghost _ships and moving the energon into the Temple of Simfur, a massive structure that had once housed the Allspark. The move was made because, since it appeared that the planet was indeed online, the energon would be most effective where the Allspark had once given Cybertron its power.

However, they hadn't managed to achieve much once the battle had started. The humans had been able to continue, unable to properly see what was going on above them. Ratchet and Prowl had been able to see far more, and they were worried about how many of their allies would return alive. Inside of the Temple, Ratchet had set up an impromptu medical bay for the injuries he anticipated. He had gotten lucky, for being on Cybertron meant he would be able to give repairs with actual Cybertronian metal instead of an Earth substitute.

After seeing Unicron go offline, both bots had let out cries of victory. The humans had followed suit and doubled their efforts, knowing that their true mission could really begin with the threat out of the way. Even Prowl, normally the most serious bot around, couldn't hide his pleasure as the _Ghost III _and the triumphant troops returned to Cybertron's surface.

* * *

Megatron was careful to make sure the human vessel was allowed to land before daring to attack. He had to be certain of the amount of Autobots and humans before going into battle. At the entrance of the Temple, he saw the ship land and its crew emerge.

Optimus was still alive, as were all of the humans. Megatron was pleased to see that the measly insect known as Sam Witwicky was with them. With most of the Autobots weakened form battle, taking his revenge against the boy would be all too easy.

"Decepticons," Megatron rumbled. "Prepare the attack!"

The Decepticon leader turned back towards the Temple. The humans had stored the energon inside, and the returning Autobots were now entering the once sacred site. Once they were all inside, they would be trapped by the Decepticon assault.

Holding a single talon in the air, Megatron motioned his troops forward. Optimus would never know what hit him until it was too late.

* * *

Inside of the Temple of Simfur, Sam was amazed by the intricate details carved into the metallic structure. He remembered Bumblebee once telling him that he had worked as a sentry here, but he had never imagined exactly what the space looked like. Seeing it all, he was simply in awe of its scale and majesty.

"Over here," Ratchet called out, guiding over the Autobots and humans to be checked over. Sam was about to head over when Alexis grabbed his arm.

"What is it?"

"I want to ask you something," Alexis said.

"Sure."

Alexis bit her lip. Mikaela, still standing next to Sam, wondered why the girl seemed so nervous. Surely she wasn't hiding some other secret from them? Bigger than having Starscream as her own personal BFF?

"It's sort of private," Alexis continued, her eyes darting around the temple. Bumblebee, who had been following Ratchet's orders to get checked up, had turned back towards the teens. A look of annoyance flitted across the girl's face. "Uh…"

A loud explosion suddenly erupted right outside of the temple's main doorway. Relief flooded Alexis' features.

"Prime, come on out to play!" The voice of Megatron roared through the chamber, magnified by echoes. The Autobots immediately turned their optics to the doorway while the humans collected their weapons. In the aftermath of facing Unicron, no one had even considered that Decepticons could have followed them to the planet.

"This way! We have to hide," Alexis cried out, pulling Sam's arm. Sam, going by instinct now, secured Mikaela's hand within his own before taking off after his smaller cousin. She raced ahead of them, turning around to check that they were still following. "In here!"

Sam was taken aback when a door seemed to appear out of nowhere. It was much smaller than the majestic grand entrance yet equally ornate. It seemed to have only sprung into existence after Alexis had hit a series of buttons on its side. How on Earth did she know how to open a Cybertronian door? Maybe Starscream had taught her more than he'd thought.

Ushering Mikaela in first, Sam turned around to find Bumblebee in the confusion. He had to let his guardian know that he'd found a place to hide, if only to keep the yellow bot from worrying about him while fighting. When those familiar blue optics landed on his location, Sam gave a thumbs-up to show he was safe. Alexis then gave him a sharp tug and sealed the door.

* * *

Bumblebee was left in confusion. In all the time he had guarded the Allspark and patrolled the Temple, he had never seen that door before. Now his friend and charge was on the other side, hardly a reassuring notion for the yellow bot.

* * *

With the sound of battle sealed out, Alexis let out a breath and giggled. Surprised by his cousin's strange actions, Sam went over to join Mikaela, who was studying the hieroglyphs on the wall. To his surprise, the figures depicted looked surprisingly like the Autobots he knew. There was a small yellow one, a large black one, matching gold and silver figures, and even a red and blue bot that could be none other than Optimus Prime.

"What is this?" Sam asked. Instead of answering, Mikaela just pointed to a much smaller image. Sam leaned in to see a very small picture of a human, one that almost looked like him. But that was impossible…

"Lex, how'd you know this room was here?"

"Uh, instinct?" Alexis was ignoring her cousin, instead studying a large circle on the floor.

"Bullshit," Sam said angrily, going over to the smaller girl. "What aren't you telling us?"

"Fine, Sam. This is the entrance to the Well of All Sparks. Once opened, it'll lead to the spark of Primus himself."

Sam reeled with all the information. He hadn't even heard half of the stuff Alexis was talking about. He _did _know that Primus was pretty much a god for the Transformers, but he didn't know any other details. Really, he only heard Primus' name taken in vain, like when an Autobot was angry or injured.

"Sam, it's a little disappointing that after all your time with the Autobots you failed to learn their history." Alexis wagged her finger in disapproval. "Of course, they hardly remember the truth themselves. It really is a shame. So much of history is lost to stupid fighting."

Sam froze. He grabbed his cousin by the shoulders and stared deep into her eyes. Even though Simmons had failed to find a physical similarity between the two back at Diego Garcia, there was a telltale mark of a Witwicky: the dark brown eyes. Normally, Alexis' eyes were a mirror of his own, but now Sam could tell that they were different.

They were purple.

"You're not my cousin," Sam said in a horrified whisper.

"The body is, but not the mind," Alexis smiled. "I was really starting to wonder if you'd ever figure it out."

"Who are you?"

"Oh, come on, Sam," the being chided. "It's not that hard." Alexis reached a hand into her pocket and pulled out a small orb.

"Unicron."

* * *

A/N: All the answers you ever wanted in the next chapter!!!


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. I do own a very cute cat, so she'll have to do for now.

A/N: Due to the possible confusion with Unicron controlling Alexis, I will keep using 'Alexis' instead of 'Unicron', if only for my sanity (and because, well, it's her body doing/saying stuff).

Chapter 20

"Unicron."

"In the flesh," Alexis said. Or Unicron said. Sam was utterly confused.

"How-"

"The minute the girl touched my spark I was in control. I often take over the minds of my minions by exposing them directly to my spark. That is how I took control of Starscream when he hid on my former body. He thought it was just an asteroid," Alexis chuckled. "I wanted to posses _your _body, but your various encounters with the Allspark and Matrix seem to have left you immune. Indeed, it's hard enough controlling humans as it is."

Sam could hardly believe his eyes or ears. This could _not _be happening.

"What is going on?" he demanded.

"I need a new body, it's as simple as that."

"So you picked my cousin? A five foot tall girl?"

"This is just a transitional form until I get Primus' body."

"Primus-? How are you even alive?" Sam asked. Alexis held up the orb in her hand.

"Back in my old body, I only pretended that the girl had destroyed my spark. As long as my spark is intact, I cannot die. And in a few moments, you shall help me take my new form."

"Primus' body? Where is it?"

"Sam, we're on it."

"But we're on Cybertron!"

"In the beginning," Alexis said, ignoring Sam's outburst, "Two brothers were formed by the Allspark. One was Primus the creator. The other was Unicron the destroyer. After eons of battles, we were both locked away in asteroids, unable to continue our fight for dominance. Primus then set to work creating the Transformers while I destroyed what worlds I could. Although we started out equal in size and strength, the Transformers added more and more to Primus, renaming him Cybertron as they forgot their origins."

"So you want to become Cybertron? It's a dead planet…"

"Only somewhat, Samuel. Primus is not dead, not yet. But he is sick. Now is my only chance to strike. With my brother in this weakened state from the Transformer civil war, he is vulnerable to my takeover. Once I have control, I will be unstoppable. This new body will be more than twice the size of my old one. None shall challenge me and the universe will finally end."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you have a part to play in this. I need you to open the door. You, chosen by the Allspark to be the champion of the Matrix of Leadership, can open the Well of All Sparks. It is, as you humans say, your destiny. Although I am a little disappointed." Alexis shook her head. "I thought that you'd be a more worthy adversary. I worked so hard to ensure my plan went through without a hitch, the entire time fearing that you would discover the truth. Yet it seems my fears were misguided. You're no threat at all."

"I'd watch what you say. I'm not the 100 pound girl," Sam challenged.

"You plan on fighting me? Now, Sam," Alexis warned, "I might be in a weak organic body, but any harm you bring to me will only hurt _her_."

"How long?" Sam asked suddenly. "How long have you controlled her body?"

"Only since she took my spark." Alexis studied the small orb in her hands, like a jeweler examining a diamond. "The cerebro-strip was only controlling her when I needed to intervene. However, it proved far more useful than just getting me close to you. It allowed me to plant images in her mind. Your Autobots thought it was merely an aftereffect. Little did they know that I had planted a subliminal message, so that even after the strip was removed she would fulfill her duty by bringing you to my spark."

"Well, you're going to get out of her mind right now," Sam said, approaching the possessed girl.

In response, Alexis removed a small, silver object from her pocket with her free hand. Sam recognized it as the thing she had been fiddling around with before. Pressing a button, the small thing transformed, revealing a sharp, long knife. This stopped Sam. Unicron was going to kill him!

For once, Sam was glad to have paid attention to Simmons. "I think you forgot a little detail: these suits are tear proof. That knife won't get through the fabric."

"Who said I would use it against you?" With that, Alexis pressed the knife against her own neck. "If you take another step your cousin dies."

Sam grimaced but acquiesced. "What do you want me to do?"

"Fulfill your destiny and open this door."

"Um, how?"

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Place your hands on the seal. Order it to open."

Sam considered making a joke but he bit his tongue. With that knife pressed against Alexis' neck, he couldn't take any risks. His mind raced as he joined the girl on the circle. If he got the thing to open (and that was a big _if)_ it might distract Unicron enough that Sam could tackle them to the ground. Then, he would just wait until Optimus or Bumblebee found them and destroyed Unicron's spark for real. Sam then realized the flaw to his plan: with the Decepticons attacking, it might be a while before any Autobots could help. He looked back at Mikaela, who had stayed against the wall during the entire exchange. Hopefully she would help him to keep his cousin down. Seeming to sense his idea, Mikaela followed him onto the circle.

Purple eyes watched with great anticipation. Sam studied the seal beneath his feet. Right in the center was a blank square surrounded by thousands of tiles. It formed an unending chain of glyphs, the same that had haunted Sam the days preceding the Fallen's attack on Earth. The symbols had been completely removed when he had recovered the Matrix of Leadership, but the sight of the blank square caused thousands of them to flash before his eyes again. Unable to control his movements, Sam began tracing the figures onto the blank square, forming the glyphs that would unlock the seal on the Well of All Sparks.

With a resounding crack, a split divided the circle. Sam blinked away the images in his mind and saw that the seal was literally breaking apart. He pulled Mikaela off of the crumbling structure and looked at the stairway that was revealed. To his surprise, the steps were close together, as if meant for humans legs rather than Transformers'.

Alexis smiled and lowered her knife. Holding up the spark, she gave Sam a jaunty wave. "Thanks for your help, Sam."

"You think I'm not going to let you go without a fight? I don't think my cousin will mind a few bruises if it means stopping you."

"I'm not going to fight you, Sam," Alexis said, raising her hands in mock defeat. "But she will."

That was when Mikaela punched Sam in the side of the face. Caught off guard, Sam fell to the floor. Looking up at his girlfriend, he was shocked to see that Mikaela's face was void of all emotion. Then Sam remembered what Unicron had said earlier.

_It's hard enough controlling _humans _as it is. _Humans, as in plural. Unicron was controlling both his cousin and his girlfriend.

"Mikaela," Sam said weakly. As anger grew within him, he wondered just how long Unicron had been controlling his girlfriend. He figured Unicron had probably taken her over when they entered the chamber, as she had been acting normal throughout the return trip to Cybertron…Rather, the return to Primus, if Unicron was speaking the truth.

"Have fun, Sam. And Mikaela," Alexis turned to face her minion. "Feel free to kill him." She dropped the knife she'd been holding, kicking it towards Mikaela.

As the possessed Witwicky started down the steps, Mikaela ran at Sam. He tried to defend himself, but she was too strong, too furious. He didn't want to hurt her, but her orders were to see him dead.

"Mikaela, it's me! Unicron's controlling you! Fight it!" Mikaela ignored his pleas, only kicking him hard in the gut. "Please! You don't like it when I die!"

There was a sudden pounding at the door. Sam prayed that it was an Autobot coming to his rescue. He didn't know how much longer he could keep Mikaela at bay.

"You love me, remember? You told me that to keep me alive! Don't-"

Mikaela slowed her assault. Whether or not it was from his argument's was unclear: she might have been savoring the impending kill.

"Mikaela, I love you. Please," Sam locked eyes with his mind-controlled girlfriend. She started shaking, and for a moment it looked like she might have gained control again. The pounding at the door grew louder. A few more seconds and reinforcements would arrive-

"Die!" Mikaela screamed, picking up the knife Alexis dropped.

There was an explosion and a flash of yellow filled Sam's vision.

"Bumblebee, grab Mikaela!"

The yellow bot did as he was told, restraining the struggling girl with ease. His optics appeared confused, so Sam quickly explained it.

"She's being controlled by Unicron. He's not dead, he's just possessing my cousin. He's going to try to plant his spark and take over Cybertron as a new body." The words were hardly out of his mouth when the blue and red Autobot leader appeared. Having heard everything, Optimus took something from his belt and handed it to Sam. The boy was surprised when he found the Matrix of Leadership now resting in his palms.

"What-"

"When Bumblebee informed me that you had disappeared into a room he had never seen, I feared that Unicron was not truly dead. It did not occur to me that he would take over a human body to transport his spark. If he succeeds in making Cybertron his new vessel, it will be the end of us all. Sam, you must stop Unicron. I believe the Matrix will help you."

"Why can't you stop Unicron?" Sam asked stubbornly.

"I must deal with Megatron. It is a lot to ask, I know, but you are the only one who can finish this." Sam nodded up at Optimus. It seemed that regardless of his own agenda, he was always destined to help the Transformers. "Be safe, Sam Witwicky."

Another explosion rocked the room as someone from outside the chamber attacked. Optimus turned and rejoined the battle, leaving Sam with Bumblebee and the controlled Mikaela.

"Keep her safe for me, Bee."

_Anything for the boss. _Bumblebee looked nervous. Sam smiled up at his guardian.

"I'll be fine. Even though Unicron's controlling her, it's still my cousin. And if anyone can stop her, it's going to be me."

* * *

A/N: I hope all that made sense. Let me know if any part of the explanation was unclear. I tried to cover anything, but I could have easily missed something.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. If I did, I'm pretty sure I'd be in big trouble for writing this on fanfiction.

A/N: To make up for the long explanation (which I'd been waiting to write since chapter 2) this chapter focuses more on action. Enjoy!

Also, I don't know as many Decepticons as Autobots, so they might come out OOC.

Chapter 21

Bumblebee wondered what to do with Mikaela. She continued to squirm and kick in an effort to escape his grasp, but he steadily maintained his firm hold. Unfortunately, this meant the mind-controlled teen was only struggling harder, and Bee was worried that he might have to knock her out.

"Let me go, you piece of crap!" Mikaela grunted. Bee grimaced at the insult. Even though he knew it wasn't really Mikaela talking, it reminded him of a time years before when she really did think he was nothing more than a piece of crap Camaro.

"Sam needs to die! My master decrees it! Who are you to stop Unicron?"

Bumblebee held Mikaela tighter as he played his answer.

_I am Iron Man!_

Aware that the battle was getting closer to their hiding place, Bee made a quick decision. Tossing Mikaela in the air, he transformed and tilted, catching her in his passenger seat. He closed the door and locked up. Struggle as she might, Mikaela wasn't going anywhere now.

Hearing an explosion, Bumblebee cast one last look at the hole Sam had disappeared down. Even though it looked like it was made for humans, he was certain his small frame would fit. A louder explosion snapped Bee out of it. He had to get Mikaela to safety, and that meant he couldn't risk getting stuck in a hole, exposed to any Decepticon who happened to pass.

Ignoring the barrage of insults Mikaela was still screaming at him, the Autobot drove out of the room, speeding up when he saw that more than half of the temple was crawling with Decepticons. One noticed him and fired his weapon. Bumblebee played a rather angry sound clip from a radio talk show. In order to protect Mikaela he would be forced to drive away instead of engaging in a fight. Unfortunately for him, the Decepticon transformed into a dark red Mustang and followed.

Bumblebee sighed as Mikaela kicked his dashboard. This was not going to end well…

* * *

Outside, Optimus Prime stood ready for battle. Two Decepticon jets, Skywarp and Thundercracker, were circling above him. His energon battle blades were drawn, awaiting the perfect moment to strike. It was now a matter of who would make the first move. There was a pop and the battle began.

Skywarp, living up to his designation, had appeared behind Optimus, hoping for a sneak attack. Unfortunately for him, the Autobot leader was more than ready to take him on, spinning around to slice at Skywarp's blaster in one deft stroke. Thundercracker tried his luck but was also denied. Optimus proved too fast; he grabbed Skywarp's arm and threw him into the oncoming jet. Thundercracker dove to avoid his fellow Decepticon, crashing into the ground at Optimus' feet. Skywarp managed to warp away before hitting his comrade.

Barely slowed by his crash, Thundercracker used the ground to his advantage, launching himself into Optimus's chest. The Autobot fell backwards over Skywarp, who had appeared in a crouch behind Optimus' legs. Although the Decepticon had intended to help his partner in bringing Optimus down, he had instead given the Autobot the leverage he needed to kick Thundercracker off course and headlong into a nearby building. Then, while still flipping over, Optimus pulled out his ion gun and fired a shot at Skywarp, hitting him square in the shoulder.

Optimus allowed himself a private curse. A few inches over and he would have taken out the Decepticon's spark. Landing in a crouch position, the Autobot ran at Skywarp, ready to take him out with his blades. The injured Decepticon quickly activated his thrusters, hoping to take to the skies in escape. It surely would have been the end of Skywarp if Thundercracker had not managed to collide with Optimus, sending them both flying over the downed mech. Twisting in the Decepticon's grasp, Optimus managed to deliver a crippling blow with one of his blades when Thundercracker briefly exposed his thrusters. The two crashed back to the ground, and Optimus managed to ram one of his blades through Thundercracker's chest cavity, effectively putting him into stasis.

Skywarp, despite his injuries, managed to transform into his jet mode in order to strafe the Autobot leader. Optimus felt several bullets make contact before he managed to dive under some cover. When Skywarp looped around for another attempt, Optimus jumped up and pulled the jet back to the ground. Transformed, Skywarp managed only one hit before Optimus took him offline with his ion blaster.

Before Optimus even had the chance to recover, he sensed another attacker coming from behind him. He turned with blades drawn, unsurprised to see Megatron standing there. The brothers considered each other for a moment, ignoring the bots fighting all around them. For that moment it was just the two of them. Each knew in the core of their spark that only one would survive this battle.

Megatron swiped at Optimus with his claws, enjoying the grating sound of metal being crushed beneath his fingers. Optimus pushed his brother's hand away and used one of his blades to cut at Megatron's shoulder. He missed when Megatron kicked him back with a furious roar.

"So predictable, Prime," Megatron said with a sneer. "You never know when to change your strategy." He dug his claws into Optimus' chest, his talons nearly scratching the spark that rested there. "Sometimes, an agonizing death is more enjoyable than a fast one."

"Megatron, if it is death you want you shall have it!" Optimus roared as he swung both his blades at Megatron. "But this is not the time for us to do battle. Call off your attack!"

"Never, Prime. The Decepticons will reclaim Cybertron and destroy the humans. After I finish you!"

"Megatron, your ignorance will be the death of us all. Unicron is the enemy now!"

"Unicron is dead! You offlined him yourselves," Megatron grunted, punching Optimus. Too many times had he allowed his brother to talk him out of action. He would not be distracted now. He'd killed Optimus before, he would do it again now.

"His spark was not destroyed. As we do battle it is going closer to the center of Cybertron, to the spark chamber of Primus himself."

That caught Megatron off guard. "You're speaking of legends, Prime."

"I speak of truth. You know as well as I Cybertron's greatest secret: it is one in the same with Primus."

Megatron scowled. He had never cared for planetary history, only its future.

"If we do not stop fighting, Unicron will take control of the planet and make it transform. It will be the destruction of us all."

"I will not listen to your lies!"

"Then you shall die by your ignorance!"

The two leaders charged at each other, swiping and slicing with titanic force. Their attacks were so intense that some of the dueling bots around them stopped to observe. The two were so focused on each other that neither noticed the arrival of a third party from the skies. Once Megatron noticed the new mech, he was filled with rage.

"How dare you return, traitor?"

Starscream smirked. "My master commands me to."

"I am your master!" Megatron screeched.

"Not anymore." Then Starscream began his own assault on the Decepticon. Megatron seemed startled but he quickly recovered, attacking his former second with a fury he used to reserve only for Optimus. The Autobot leader, temporarily forgotten, watched as the two collided. It seemed that the jet had not died in space, as Ironhide had thought. "I serve only Unicron!"

"Unicron-is-dead!" Megatron grunted, fending off a surprisingly hostile attack from the jet. In all his years he couldn't remember Starscream ever attacking him so ferociously.

Rather than respond, Starscream doubled his efforts. Temporarily knocking Megatron down, he shifted his attention to Optimus. Without a word, he started attacking the Autobot leader. It seemed that Starscream's mission was to prevent either leader from preventing the delivery of Unicron's spark. It was the only reason that he would fight both leaders at once. Before long, Megatron, Starscream, and Optimus were all battling one another.

To his credit, Starscream was more than holding his own. The enraged Megatron proved clumsy, forgetting his footing in his rush to attack either of his greatest enemies. Optimus, facing both Decepticons alone, was on the defense while he waited for an opening to attack. Starscream skillfully wove between the two leaders, almost knowing what they would do before they did it. Such was the advantage of having a demigod influence his strategy.

A sudden shudder ran through the ground beneath their feet. The three combatants all stopped to see what was the cause. Starscream let out a rough laugh.

"The transformation has begun."

* * *

A/N: I know I suck at writing fight scenes. Sorry. Just imagine the most epic fight you can with the characters listed, haha.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.

Chapter 22

Sam ducked through another archway as he ran to catch up with Unicron/Alexis. The farther down he went into the planet, the more clear it became as to why Unicron had possessed his cousin instead of an Autobot: the various corridors and doorways he had passed through were all proportioned for humans. Or very, very small Transformers. Sam decided that this was Primus' own defense system, an attempt to keep large enemies away from his spark. Now, however, Unicron was the perfect size for traversing the underground maze.

There were several times when Sam though he was lost, only to have the Matrix of Leadership mysteriously put him back on the right path. Either that or the original Primes residing within it were messing with his head. He felt like he had been running for hours yet he had still seen no sign of his cousin or Primus' spark.

There was a rumble ahead and Sam surged forward. Gripping the Matrix tightly, Sam prepared for whatever Unicron had waiting. What he didn't expect was the scene that greeted his eyes.

The room, clearly the spark chamber, was nearly identical to the one Unicron's body had. The only difference was that, while Unicron's had looked fit, Primus' looked as if it was literally falling apart. Almost the entire room was covered in rust, even the generator-type thing supporting the spark looking dull. The spark itself was hardly impressive; while Unicron's had glowed the same violet shade as Alexis' eyes, this spark was almost clear. And unlike Unicron's spark, which had been easy to remove, Primus' was putting up a fight.

Alexis was reaching into the generator, gritting her teeth as blue lightning struck her arm repeatedly. It took Sam a moment to realize that she was breeching some sort of force field. The tips of her fingers broke through, reaching for the spark within. In her other hand, Unicron's spark lit up in anticipation.

"Unicron! Stop!" Sam's words went unheeded. Alexis didn't even look at him as she continued to push through the barrier before her. "Alexis!"

Jumping over a rusted pipe, Sam crossed the room in order to tackle his cousin. Now her entire wrist was inside the blue light and her hand grabbed the spark. A tremor ran through the planet, knocking Sam to the ground.

"Don't do it!" Sam yelled. "Fight him, Lex! Fight!"

"You think she can beat me?" Alexis asked. Her violet eyes were still fixed on the spark in front of her. She gave it a tug, but it refused to move. "This girl is nothing more than a shell." She gave another tug, and then another. Sam watched in horror as she managed to remove the spark with a loud crack. The blue light fizzled out of existence. Alexis grimaced in pain. The hand that held Primus' spark was bent oddly, and the spacesuit that was designed for reentering Earth's atmosphere was charred black. With her good hand, Alexis shoved Unicron's spark into the generator. There was a brief flash of light and Alexis was thrown against the wall, unconscious.

I failed, Sam thought. This is it. He looked back down at the Matrix in his hand. No, this isn't over. All he had to do was switch the sparks. It couldn't be that hard, right?

Crawling, he got up and ran over to his cousin's prone form. There was a series of clicks and whirls as Unicron adjusted to his new form. The entire chamber was shaking and debris was raining down as Sam tried to rouse his cousin.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up," he murmured, shaking Alexis by the shoulder. Her eyes sprung open and he let out a sigh of relief. He was certain his parents would have killed him if he'd let Alexis die. Then he noticed her irises.

They were not the violet they had been when she was possessed by Unicron. Neither were they the dark brown that they were supposed to be.

They were ice blue.

"Who the hell are you?" Sam demanded. He was getting sick of things taking over his cousin's body. It was almost ridiculous!

Alexis didn't immediately respond. Instead, she stared up at the ceiling, seeming to see beyond the chamber they were in. "My children…they're dying," she said in a weak voice, barely anything more than a whisper.

"Children?"

"Why must brothers always fight? My brother tried to destroy me for so long. My sons quarreled, and now they battle, too. My children defined by war and death when all I wanted was to give them life. A single bad spark destroyed so many," Alexis breathed.

"Primus?" Sam whispered the question. He looked down at the translucent spark his cousin was holding. Well, if Unicron could possess someone, why couldn't Primus?

The bright blue eyes seemed to notice Sam for the first time. "Witwicky…Samuel…I am most sorry for you, for entwining your fate with all this death and despair."

"You know what? I'm okay with that. Just, just give me that spark," Sam reached over his cousin to get the orb from her blackened hand. Her other arm caught him by the wrist.

"You must stop their fighting. Stop the death of my children." Alexis closed her eyes and her breathing grew shallow. "You know what to do…"

"I hope so," Sam said, removing the spark from her grasp. Standing up, he looked back at the generator that now held Unicron's spark. All he had to do was cross the room and it'd all be over.

As if sensing his hope, Unicron responded by activating his own defenses. Unlike Primus, he had enough power stored to take full advantage of the resources around him. The various wires and tubes throughout the chamber suddenly came to life, ready to attack Sam should he dare approach the center.

"Shit."

* * *

Bumblebee sighed as he avoided another missile. He had hoped the Decepticon tailing him would have given him a challenge, but he was getting more damage from the teen inside him than the giant robot behind him. Mikaela had screamed herself hoarse for the better part of the ride, and when her voice gave out she resorted to smashing every dial on his dashboard. At this point he didn't care if she was Sam's girlfriend, Pit, she could have been Optimus Prime, he was pissed _off_.

Another blast hit the road ahead of him but Bee easily maneuvered around it. He wanted to find Ratchet or Lennox, someone he could leave Mikaela with while he fought. Yet none of his allies seemed to be around, no matter where he turned.

However, that problem was solved for him when the human in question gasped. "Oh my God, Bumblebee-I'm so sorry!"

"You're better?" Bumblebee asked. He wanted to use his radio, but Mikaela had thoroughly destroyed that on her rampage. She was definitely going to pay for that one when they got back to Earth.

"Yeah and I am so, so sorry! I couldn't stop myself…" Mikaela trailed off, looking at all the damage she had caused to Bee's interior. "You look like _crap_."

At this, Bumblebee stopped and threw Mikaela out the door. Now that she was in control of her own body, she would be on her own while he took on the Mustang that was following him.

"I said I was sorry!" Mikaela shouted as Bee blasted at the Decepticon. "I mean it!"

* * *

Optimus took a shot at Megatron while wrestling with Starscream. Both Decepticons were still fighting the Autobot leader and each other. In the heat of the battle, only Optimus noticed when Starscream was overcome by an immense shiver that seemed to radiate from his spark. Although Optimus noticed this, it hardly slowed Megatron from his relentless attack.

Starscream, who had previously been fighting with a fury neither leader had known him capable of, was now panting on the ground. To some it appeared that he had succumbed to his wounds, but Optimus suspected otherwise; Unicron had released him. And that could only mean one thing.

Cybertron was now Unicron's body.

Megatron, oblivious to the drastic realizations going through Optimus' circuits, took advantage of the other bots' distraction in order to attack. Unfortunately for him, he didn't know that, free of Unicron's influence, Starscream wasn't fighting _both _leaders.

Now he was only fighting one.

Optimus and Starscream turned together, attacking the Decepticon commander with every weapon in their arsenal. Megatron was unable to prevent the massive damage from the combined assault. He attempted to make one final swipe against his brother's chest, but Optimus shoved his battle blade straight through Megatron's spark chamber, ending the Decepticon leader for good. This time, no Allspark remnants remained. There would be no final resurrection.

Megatron was dead.

* * *

A/N: I might not update right away after this because of my surgery. I'll do the best I can to continue as soon as possible.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.

A/N: Okay, I'm in some pain right now, so forgive the length and any stupid mistakes/misspellings.

Chapter 23

Sam dodged another metal tentacle for what seemed to be the hundredth time. Unicron was determined to keep him from reaching his spark. The hundreds of pipes and tubes in the chamber had been turned into a deadly weapon, thrashing at Sam in an effort to wound or kill him. However, Sam was not going to give up that easily. Having died once made him appreciate living more, which is why he refused to die now.

Sent flying by an errant pipe, Sam landed with a thud. Another tentacle arched up to smash him but Sam proved too quick. Before long he was weaving in and out of the mass of cables, slowly working his way towards the generator. This proved rather difficult as he was holding the spark of Primus in one hand and the Matrix of Leadership in the other.

An idea was forming in his head as he ducked below another tentacle. Since Unicron would probably use the same force field that Primus had, he'd use the Matrix to break through. Somehow, he couldn't help but believe that the mysterious abilities of the Matrix would be enough to protect him from the damage he'd seen the force field do to his cousin's hand.

Sam was so engrossed with his theory that he failed to notice when a thin cord wrapped around his ankle, forcing him to the ground. Another snaked around his neck, and for a moment he remembered a strong metallic tongue that had tried to choke the life out of him a few months earlier. He shoved his fist between the cord and his neck, creating a gap before the cord squeezed. If not for the flack he'd just created he would surely have suffocated. He twisted his arm around his head to remove the offending wire and then focused on freeing his feet.

The cord lifted him into the air, and to his eternal horror, he dropped Primus' spark. Several tentacles attacked at once, slamming against his body with speed and precision. Not for the first time the teen found himself cursing the name Seymour Simmons. The supposedly indestructible spacesuit was being ripped to shreds by the razor tips of the tentacles. Yanking down the zipper, Sam dropped back to the ground as he fell out of the suit. The tentacles continued to destroy the suit, giving Sam the time he needed to retrieve Primus' spark from the floor and make one last dash for the generator.

* * *

Starscream looked at the corpse lying at his feet. He could hardly believe his optics. Lord Megatron, commander of the Decepticons, was offline.

Again.

The various Decepticons and Autobots who had stopped to watch the three-way battle between him, Megatron, and Optimus Prime continued to watch in silence. Clearly they were waiting for some sort of order, but from whom? Starscream quickly scanned the assembled bots. Soundwave was absent, as was Shockwave. Whether or not they had stayed to guard the Decepticon base in Earth's solar system or were in battle on Cybertron remained to be seen. But with those two out of the picture, Starscream was the highest ranked Decepticon present, even if he was a traitor.

Perfect.

He turned to Optimus with a smirk on his face. "It looks like I just got promoted." This caused the Autobot leader to tense. No doubt he was wondering whose side Starscream was on. Thankfully for him, Starscream deactivated his weapons and motioned for the other Decepticons to do the same. "We have a lot to discuss, Prime."

"First, we must help Sam," Optimus said. He remained cautious, knowing this could turn back into a firefight in a matter of moments. Starscream shook his head.

"It's too late to assist the human. We can only wait." The planet let out another violent shudder, and everything was silent. Then, a bright white light washed over them all.

* * *

Letting out a grunt, Sam grabbed the dais Unicron's spark was resting in. He took the Matrix and slammed it at the orb, hardly surprised when his arm bounced back against a violet force field. Sam hit it harder and harder, hoping that his efforts were paying off. The tentacles were tangled up within one another, but he knew that he had only minutes before they would attack him again.

Taking the Matrix in both hands (managing to keep Primus' spark on hand as well), he took one final swing. This time, the force field did not completely repel him. He pushed harder and the Matrix tip started to break though. Hope filled his eyes. He was seconds away from getting through.

Primus' spark suddenly slipped in his hand. Fumbling with both the orb and the Matrix, Sam almost dropped both sacred objects. He barely managed to snatch up the spark as he continued to push. There was a blinding light and Sam felt his body fall forward. The Matrix had broken through, as had Primus' spark.

For a moment time seemed to completely stop. Resting in the generator was the Matrix, with both sparks orbiting around it like some messed up solar system. Sam felt his eyes go wide as the sparks sped up, chasing one another around the Matrix. At first he thought Unicron's was chasing Primus', but after squinting he saw that it was the other way around. The violet spark dimmed as the previously translucent spark began to glow a stronger blue, the same shade that rested at the center of the Matrix of Leadership. The two sparks finally touched and a blinding light exploded from the generator, engulfing the entire planet in brilliant white rays.

The force was enough to send Sam tumbling back, shielding his eyes. When it looked like the lights had dimmed he blinked up. Sitting inside of the generator was one strange object, instead of three. Sam tilted his head, trying to figure out what had happened. It almost looked as if the Matrix had absorbed both sparks in order to form this…thing.

If all of this wasn't strange enough, what happened next was equally amazing. The Spark Matrix (as Sam was starting to think of it) was pulsing with a gentle white light. With each beat the light spread further, and everything it touched was transformed. Rust fell off of metal and soon the entire room was gleaming.

Cybertron was coming back on line.

Rather than waste time trying to figure out exactly what had happened and why, Sam remembered the other human with him. Knowing he could count on Optimus to explain everything, he ran over to his cousin.

"Hey, wake up," Sam whispered. Alexis slowly seemed to regain consciousness, and he was incredibly happy to see that her eyes were back to their normal chocolate brown. "How do you feel?"

Alexis looked as if she was going to say something when her eyes went wide. Sam quickly scanned the room, searching for whatever had alarmed her. Then he heard a gurgle, and by the time he turned his face back Alexis had thrown up.

"Er, that's good. Right? Get those gods out of your system," he murmured, rubbing his cousin's back. "We should probably get out of here-"

"What happened?" Alexis moaned. "Where are we?"

Sam pulled his cousin up and started directing her towards the exit. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"We were on Unicron, in his spark chamber…"

"I'd say you missed a lot," Sam chuckled. "Alexis?"

Sam was surprised to see that his cousin had vanished from his grasp. So had the spark chamber, for that matter. He was now standing in a canyon, warped by the elements of a millennia.

"Shit, did I die again?" Sam took in his new surroundings. He half expected to see the thirteen original Primes but now there were only two figures. He recognized one as Unicron, but the other was different. With a start, he realized that it must have been Primus. He was almost identical to his brother, yet completely different as well.

For a few moments, the three beings simply considered one another. Sam didn't speak and neither did the demigods. Finally, Primus bowed his head to Sam, and when the boy next breathed he was back in the spark chamber, holding his cousin. He was so shaken by what had just happened that he failed to see two small lights escape from the Spark Matrix, dancing up through the ceiling and headed towards the surface.

"Sam, you okay?" There was concern in Alexis' brown eyes. Sam just shook his head.

"I have no idea anymore."

* * *

A/N: Alright, that is all I can physically manage today. There should be one or two more 'real' chapters after this, and then I'll start the epilogues. That's right, there will be multiple epilogues.

And can anyone guess what the two lights are? R&R please!


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. I do own some very irritating new scars, though.

A/N: Again, forgive stupid errors. I'm still in a recovery haze.

Chapter 24

Sam hardly remembered the journey back to Cybertron's surface. Alexis had steadily regained strength along the way, although it became clear that the hand she had used to breach Primus' force field was broken. For a while they had walked faster than the light emanating from the Spark Matrix, but it had eventually passed them like a wave. Now the previously dark tunnels were bright and humming with life.

Sam recounted everything that had happened since they'd left Unicron to his cousin. It was almost relaxing, just being able to talk. Alexis never interrupted, simply taking in all that he said while trying to make sense of it. Each word he spoke brought back more memories, memories that both did and didn't belong to her. Unlike her time being controlled by the cerebro-strip, Alexis had been unaware while under the control of Unicron and Primus.

Optimus Prime, having reached an unspoken truce with Starscream, was the first thing Sam saw when he arrived back at the temple. Without even asking Sam what had happened or where the Matrix of Leadership had gone, he directed the children over to Ratchet and the human medics. After a quick scan showed that Sam was in good shape, despite some cuts and scrapes, he went over to where Optimus, Lennox and Simmons were waiting. Then, he retold the story for a second time. Unlike with his cousin, there were several interruptions along the way. Perhaps the most welcome was when Bumblebee and Mikaela rolled up. Mikaela immediately hugged Sam and apologized for what had occurred earlier. Sam then continued his story, holding her hand the entire time. When he was finished there was a moment of silence.

"What do you mean, the sparks 'combined'?" Lennox asked. He was holding a bloody bandage to his arm, the only obvious wound he had suffered in the Decepticon battle.

"They sort of circled each other, and then there was a blinding light."

"We saw that, too," Epps said, joining the conversation.

"I think they formed one big spark, because of the Matrix," Sam said, looking up to Optimus for assurance. "I call it the Spark Matrix."

Optimus rubbed his nose. "What shape did the three take after their combination?"

"Uh, abstract?"

"Could you draw it?"

"Sure," Sam said. Someone managed to find him a pen and paper and he drew the image as best he could. When he turned it over to Optimus, the Autobot also showed it to Bumblebee. Blue optics opened wide in recognition and Bee led the group over to a group of hieroglyphics hidden in a corner. There, a near identical image rested.

"Oh my God," Mikaela whispered, covering her mouth.

"These walls tell the story of our race," Optimus said, reaching out to touch said walls with reverence. Below him, Sam did the same, running his fingers over the outline of the Spark Matrix. "The start of the glyphs show the Allspark granting our ancestors life. This last panel has always been a mystery; countless bots have tried to understand its meaning. It would seem that you, Sam, were able to do so."

"What? I didn't do anything…"

"You helped give our planet a second chance." Optimus quietly corrected. "From what we could translate, we knew that this object, your Spark Matrix, was needed to restore Cybertron. However, no one knew what it was. Many speculated that it was the Allspark reformed. Yet now it is all clear." Optimus pointed to another glyph, this one so high that Sam had trouble making it out. It showed first a single being, splitting in to two, the Matrix floating above. Then there was a crude interpretation of Unicron and Primus, standing side by side. The next showed them fighting. The final panel showed them forming one being yet again.

"There was a longstanding theory that Unicron and Primus were, in fact, more than brothers. Many thought this panel indicated that they were twins. And as you know," Optimus said, motioning to Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, "Twins form when one spark splits into two. It seems that the same was true of Primus and Unicron. Separated, they were drawn into battle in order to form a galactic balance of life and death."

"So when I put their sparks together, they went back to one, the way it was supposed to be?"

Optimus nodded. "The Matrix was what separated them and it was what brought them back together. Their combined energies were restored, enabling the planet to recover. We have you to thank for this, Sam."

The teen felt his face redden. He really hated when Optimus singled him out for simply being in the right place at the right time. If anything, it was because of Alexis that things had worked out. Well, because of Unicron possessing her.

"Does this mean…You're going to stay here?" Mikaela asked quietly. The humans tried to hide their anxiousness. This was what many of them had feared. With Cybertron restored, there was no reason for the Transformers to remain on Earth. Although some human politicians welcomed this, many others did not.

"Perhaps," Optimus said. "That is up to your human government and our individual choice. With the space bridge, we might not have to make such permanent decisions now."

A sigh of relief came from almost every being listening. Bumblebee seemed the most excited, knowing that he wasn't going to be forced to pick between Sam and Cybertron. Lennox and Epps exchanged grins, glad to know that they'd still have their alien back-up in future military ventures. Simmons was the only one who didn't seem completely satisfied, until it crossed his mind that he now had the opportunity to study an alien race in their natural environment. After that revelation, a huge grin was plastered over his face.

"I think it's my turn to ask the questions," Sam said. "What's going on with the Decepticons?"

"Right now Starscream's in control. That means we have a temporary truce…for now," Lennox said with a shrug. "Of course, there's still a lot of Decepticons out there. Only the ones on Cybertron are following Starscream."

"That means there is still a threat from Shockwave and Soundwave," Optimus said. "As soon as they learn of Megatron's death, we will be facing Decepticons under their control."

"Megatron's dead?" Optimus nodded. "Are we sure this time?"

"Okay, it looks like we have an actual mission now," Lennox said, ignoring Sam's quip. "Let's see how much that Spark thing did."

While the soldiers and Optimus went to survey the planet, Sam listened to Mikaela describe what had happened with Bumblebee. He couldn't help but laugh when Bee showed him just how much damage his girlfriend had managed to cause. He laughed even harder when Bumblebee explained how he had taken out all of his anger on the nearest Decepticon. That reminded him of something.

"Hey, Bee, where did you live before the war?"

The next thing Sam knew, he and Mikaela were being taken on a tour of the city. Bumblebee showed them various spots of personal importance and enjoyment. Everywhere they went they saw signs of the Spark Matrix's work, as entire buildings shined with its light. Eventually a comm. from Lennox had them return to the temple and the _Ghost _ships. It seemed that the humans were going to be sent back while half of the newly combined Autobot and Decepticon forces remained to oversee the planet's reconstruction. For once it seemed that everything had calmed down. All of the Decepticons that Megatron had brought were more than willing to quit fighting under Starscream, and simply being on their home planet seemed to keep them in check.

When they arrived back at the temple, Sam was the first to notice that there was a small crowd gathered around Ratchet. Wondering what was going on, Sam led the way over to the group. No one said anything when they arrived. They were all distracted by the medic. Nestled in Ratchet's arms were two incredibly small robots. They almost looked like…babies. Robot babies.

* * *

A/N: Explanation next chapter (unless you remember the last chapter). Let me know if there are more questions. I might have missed something in my stupor.


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.

A/N: Some of this might seem cheesy, but I love happy endings.

Chapter 25

"What are they?" Epps asked, indicating that Sam and Mikaela had arrived just in time for the explanation. All of the other humans were looking at the two little bots in confusion. Ratchet chuckled.

"They're protoforms."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait," Sam said, holding up a hand. "I thought that was your word for a baby."

"That is correct."

"Then where'd they come from?" Mikaela asked.

"While I was searching for more medical supplies I found the protoform department. These two had just been activated."

"Protoform department?" Lennox asked. "Is that like your maternity ward?"

"Not exactly. Before the war, protoforms were built in advance for any bots who wished to petition for a sparkling. These two are in the most basic form, with no modifications added whatsoever." The humans tried to make sense of Ratchet's lesson. When it seemed that everyone understood to some degree, he continued. "Normally, protoforms are only brought online by the Allspark and their designated Creators. It seems that Cybertron's rebirth has also given our species a new way of sparking protoforms."

"Why just those two?"

"Balance," Sam said, suddenly remembering his mystical meeting with Primus and Unicron. "I remember, when I saw Primus, I think he told me this would happen."

"I thought he didn't say anything to you," Mikaela said. Sam shook his head.

"I just wasn't listening."

"What, are you a shaman now?" Simmons quipped. Sam ignored him as he studied the protoforms.

"Primus wanted the fighting to stop. He hated the war."

"So he sent these two sparks back to be ambassadors for peace," Optimus mused.

"Wait, did you say he sent these two _back_?" Sam asked, now confused. "You mean, they're not new sparks?" Optimus nodded.

"Don't you recognize your old friend Megatron?" Ironhide laughed. "He won't be any trouble to us now in this puny form."

"That's _Megatron_?" Sam screeched. The rest of the humans seemed just as surprised.

"This time, he will be raised free of corruption," Optimus said solemnly. "He will have his own second chance. A new name, too."

Lennox and Epps exchanged nervous glances. They hoped Optimus was right and that they could prevent another 'bad' Megatron. They could only imagine a toddler version of the former Decepticon leader throwing a temper tantrum.

"And the other one?" Mikaela asked quickly, trying to change the subject.

"An old friend. Surely you remember Jazz?" This elicited much more positive results from the humans. "Of course, we'll have to keep them here in order to ensure their immune systems develop properly," Ratchet continued.

The medic then left to tend to the protoforms, doing whatever it was Transformers did to feed their young. Lennox shook his head in disbelief as he and Epps left to help the other soldiers. Sam just couldn't believe what had happened. He hadn't thought that his day could have gotten any more surreal and now there were robot babies to deal with? He sank down to the floor and sat against the nearest wall. Mikaela fluidly lowered herself next to him.

"Sam, what's wrong?"

"Did you not see the four foot long babies?"

"But they're a good thing. It means the Autobots won't die out. Their planet has a second chance and a new generation." Mikaela rubbed Sam's face and smiled. "Aren't you happy for them?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm happy. It's just a lot to take in." Sam groaned. "Now I'm just thinking about robot sex." Mikaela shoved Sam's face away and rolled her eyes. Sam had just saved an entire planet and his mind was back in the gutter. Sam seemed stunned when she walked away. "What I say?"

* * *

Hours later, the humans and a majority of the Autobots arrived back at Diego Garcia. Simmons hadn't let Sam hear the end of it for having lost his suit. Thankfully, the paranoid agent had brought five extras just in case.

Everyone had been relieved to land at the familiar base. For a few hours Simmons, Lennox and Optimus had to debrief several military and political contacts. So far, no one wanted to order the Transformers back to Cybertron. That was a relief for many on the base.

Sam, for his part, had 'debriefed' the other civilians at the base. Leo listened enviously, knowing that a broken leg was all that had stood between him and actually travelling to an alien planet. Maggie and Glen were also jealous that they had missed a chance to see Cybertronian computers up close. They were certain that ten minutes with one of those machines could have helped them advance hacking technology for the next five decades. Ron and Judy, however, were very upset to hear about how much danger their son and niece had been in.

"By the way, where is Alexis?" Judy asked. Seeing the girl with Starscream, Judy waved her over. "Young lady, you are in so much trouble when your dad gets here."

"My dad's coming?" Alexis asked, her face drained of color.

"He doesn't know anything yet," Ron assured her. "Besides, he's going to be more upset with me for keeping this a secret. We never kept secrets as kids. Now he's going to give me a wedgie or something."

Sam rolled his eyes as the older Witwickys walked away with Alexis. Mikaela pulled him aside for a kiss. They didn't stop until they realized that Optimus Prime had appeared beside them. Reluctantly pulling away, Sam looked up at the Autobot leader.

"Sam, I wanted to thank you. Once again, your bravery and determination has saved us all."

"Optimus-"

"No, Sam," Optimus waved Sam into silence. "You deserve this praise."

Sam flushed with embarrassment. "No sacrifice, no victory."

Mikaela took his hand and squeezed. "I happen to agree," she whispered into his ear. As they resumed to kiss as they had before Optimus' interruption, Sam couldn't help but think that this was the perfect ending to his insane day. Becoming engrossed with Mikaela, he failed to notice Optimus walk away to stare at the stars.

The Autobot leader began to transmit another message into space. With Cybertron restored, it was important that all Transformers know of the new development.

_I am Optimus Prime, and I send this message to any surviving members of my kind. Cybertron has been given new life, and with it our species has a new chance. Many of us have found homes on Earth, where we hide in plain sight. For those willing to take up disguises, Earth awaits. For others, return to our home world is now possible. Though worlds apart, we can come together once again. Until all are one._

* * *

A/N: Okay, cue the Linkin Park music!

I have a couple of short epilogues coming up after this, so stay tuned!

And thanks to everyone who reviewed (I hope I got you all):

Fk306 animelover, Raven Celiestia, RvB Freelancer Tex, dragonwitch250, RzSpeeder, SilverWolf47, .Hale, Kibble Beast, spaztastic reader, SuckerForTheVillians, Shinigami-Sama1, dragonwitch250, Victoria-BlackHeart, VeronicaD13, MixChick, Dagger Kitsune, Turpuck, Silvera Hikari, Matt Quinn, Assault Godzilla, Red Leader, Soului, kitsun3kidd, vanessa93alice, ChevyChick, Jaguarsolaris, elliesweets, firebirdgirl, Lalaith Quetzalli, Waffles, zeratheliger, BABY BUMBLEE BEE, SuperxXxGirl79, Iniysa, and Nanoe.


	27. Epilogue 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.

A/N: Alright, here it is: I've decided to write a sequel. I'll get started on it once all of these epilogues are up.

Epilogue 1

_2 Weeks Later…_

Will Lennox was relaxing with his family and friends. He was sitting on a lawn chair, allowing the sun to warm his skin. A few feet away, Robert Epps was flipping burgers on the grill. Their respective wives were laughing about something while the kids ran around playing. A smile rested on Lennox's lips. This was his idea of a perfect day.

"That seems like an awfully slow method for cooking meet, Major," Ironhide said, having rolled up behind Lennox in his truck mode. "I believe I can help to cook them faster-"

"You are _not_ blasting my barbeque," Epps snapped. "The meat has to sit at just the right temperature in order to reach perfection."

"I think your method would burn it all to a crisp," Lennox added. "But if we ever want jerky, you'll be the first to know."

Annabelle Lennox suddenly ran up to her father, hopping into his lap with ease. "Daddy, are we going to finger paint now?"

"Sure, sweetheart." The little girl ran off to get her paint, golden curls bouncing with each step. Ironhide rolled closer to Lennox.

"Is she going to attempt to repaint my exterior again?"

"Not after last time," Will said with a laugh. "I don't think even Ratchet could repair the twins to that extent again." Ironhide, having discovered a few days earlier that his entire bumper had been turned pink, had easily determined that it was caused by Annabelle Lennox. However, he also knew that he could not harm the girl. Even if it wasn't for the fact that she was an ally's daughter, he had grown fond of her. So he'd been forced to take out his frustration on the (mostly) innocent Sideswipe and Sunstreaker.

"Perhaps I'll take it out on a different set of twins."

"Daddy, I got yellow! We can make him look like Bumblebee!" Annabelle giggled. "Where'd he go?"

Will turned around. Ironhide had disappeared without a sound, no doubt hoping to escape the toddler. The major scooped up his daughter.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, we'll find him."

* * *

Alexis Witwicky let out a sigh of relief. Classes were back in session, and she had a chance to see the college full of life. Even though all the students had returned, most of them were in class. That meant that she had a chance to enjoy the peace and quiet of the campus mall.

The only reason she was even being allowed this freedom was because Sam had valiantly argued for her to visit. She had been grounded by her dad the minute he had learned that she had been secretly meeting with an arguably dangerous alien robot. Luckily, Sam had decided to invite her over for a legitimate tour of the school. Her dad had been forced to allow her to go, especially since she was seriously considering attending in the fall.

Now, with Sam in class, the campus was all hers.

"Heads up!"

The warning proved too late in coming, as the soccer ball that came flying out of nowhere smashed directly into the teen's broken hand. Letting out a small cry, Alexis dropped all the books she had been carrying. A young man quickly ran up, apologizing profusely.

"I'm so sorry! It bounced really weird when I hit, it's my fault," the boy picked up some of Alexis' books and stopped. "You're into military planes?"

"Yes," Alexis said, snatching back the magazine that had been tucked between her books.

"Cool," the boy smiled, and Alexis would have blushed if it wasn't for her annoyance. She carefully flexed her fingers through her cast. Even though Ratchet himself had set the bones in place, she was paranoid about re-breaking her hand. "How'd you do that?"

"It's a long story," Alexis muttered. She just wanted the kid to go away now.

"I've got time. My team doesn't practice until 5."

"Let me guess, you play soccer?" Alexis rolled her eyes. The last thing she needed was some jock bothering her.

"That's why the call me Kicker."

Letting out a snort, Alexis decided to look 'Kicker' in the face. When she did, her jaw almost dropped. Even though she had noticed that Sam attended a school of could-be models, this student was really cute. He was her kind of cute. He had dark brown hair that he casually flipped out of his eyes. A blush flew across her face as she realized that he was flirting with her. That was new.

"How about we go get some coffee?" Kicker offered. "We can talk about jets if you want."

"And what do you know about jets?"

"I know that the one on the cover was an F-15E Strike Eagle. Does that get me points?"

"Yeah, it gets you points."

* * *

A/N: Cheesy? Yes. Do I care? No.

I have one more planned epilogue focusing on the Witwickys, but let me know if you want me to include some of the other characters. If you don't see them in the next chapter, I could still use them in the sequel.


	28. Epilogue 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. However, some editing to Wikipedia might change that.

A/N: This is both setting up parts of the sequel and tying up this fic. Enjoy!

Warning: Extreme cheesiness/cuteness.

Epilogue 2

_Six months later…_

Judy Witwicky did not handle crisis well. Whether it was secret agents digging through her flowers or giant aliens attacking her son, she simply couldn't take the pressure. More than once this had gotten her in trouble. Sam remembered a particularly interesting run in his mother had had with a police officer after speeding. Judy had _yelled_ at the cop for making her late for Sam's Halloween pageant. Sam, sitting in the backseat dressed as a pumpkin, had known right then and there that his mother was insane.

However, nothing compared to Judy Witwicky in labor and without painkillers. Only Ron knew that painkillers would make her even more lucid. Put simply, Judy did not take any form of medication well.

"Holy mother this hurts! Sam wasn't nearly this bad!" Judy yelled. The firstborn in question winced.

"You don't need to scream, Mom-"

"I'm having a baby, I'll do what I want and you can't say shit about it!"

Ron pulled his son aside. "Sam, don't push her now. It's only going to get worse."

"How can it get worse than _this_?" Sam angrily gestured as his mother, who was yelling at some poor intern that happened to stray into the maternity suite.

"Once she gets that epidural…She's like a werewolf and drugs are the moon." Sam arched an eyebrow. "If you don't believe me just watch your birthday tape."

"Ew, you videotaped my birth?"

"Hey, it was considered 'hip' at the time. We thought you'd appreciate it."

"Appreciate watching Mom scream me into existence? Why would _anyone _appreciate that?"

"Look, my point is – For the first five minutes of your life, your mother insisted that we name you Mickey Mouse."

"What - Why?"

"She thought you had big ears or something…"

"Hey, is this a bad time?" Mikaela had appeared at the door. At least Sam thought it was his girlfriend; she was almost invisible behind the various balloons and stuffed animals in her arms.

"Mikaela!" Judy was immediately snapped out of her rage and into joy. "Oh, you didn't have to bring all this for me."

"Well, some of our 'special friends' though otherwise. They felt bad that they couldn't actually be here to give their support." Judy started arranging the balloons and animals to her liking, leaving the Witwicky men a moment of peace.

"So how close are we?" Mikaela asked Sam quietly.

"Well, you were a seventeen hour labor," Ron said. He checked his watch. "If your little brother or sister knows what's good for him or her, then he or she will be out quicker than that."

"I can't believe you didn't learn the gender yet," Sam said, miffed. He really wanted to know in advance what his sibling would be.

"It's a Witwicky tradition. No names or gender until the baby is out."

"That is so sweet," Mikaela said.

Across the room, Judy snapped.

"Call the doctor, the baby gets out _now_!"

"Judy, no!" Ron went over to contain his wife. This sparked her fury even more.

"You did this to me! Go to France, you said. It'll be fun, you said. No kid to slow us down! Now look what you did!"

"Mikaela, let's get some food," Sam said quickly. "Hurry, hurry-"

"Samuel James Witwicky, don't you dare leave me now!"

Sam rubbed his eyes. It was going to be a long day. He prayed that his sibling would be smart and hurry up. He really didn't want Donald Duck or Minnie Mouse Witwicky to join the family today.

As if heeding his warning, the young Witwicky did hurry up. Less than six hours later, another little Witwicky came into the world. After convincing Judy that Buster was not an appropriate name, they finally managed to find the perfect name: James Samuel Witwicky.

"I'm sorry, James," Sam whispered to his sleeping little brother. "But your family's crazy." The baby, bundled tight in a blue blanket, simply yawned and snuggled into Sam's chest. Judy broke out into tears at the sight.

"My-two-baby-boys," she sobbed. "It's-so-cute!"

* * *

Later that night, Sam and Mikaela decided to celebrate James' birthday with Bumblebee. Mikaela had taken tons of pictures with her digital camera, and now she was showing Bee the sleeping baby. The trio then compared the photos to those Mikaela had borrowed of a baby Sam, trying to find similarities.

After a while, Sam and Mikaela had decided to take their familiar perch on Bumblebee's hood. Bee played some music while the teens talked. They had a lot to catch up on, as Sam had only come home for his brother's birth. Then he would be going straight back to school for the rest of his sophomore year. He had hoped that Mikaela would join him, but she had decided to wait until spring semester, since that's when her father would potentially be discharged from parole.

Still, there were some things Sam didn't want to wait for. Too many things were going right. The Decepticons under Starscream had yet to stray, and the remaining Decepticons hadn't attacked as they rushed to reorganize. A space bridge was being built at the more accessible Diego Garcia base, allowing for humans and Transformers to easily travel between the two planets. For once, it seemed that everything was going well.

"Hey, Bee, why don't you play something special."

"Special?" Mikaela asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah, special. In fact, I'd like to dedicate it to you." Mikaela snorted but Bee interrupted her with his sound clips.

_This is your DJ…the great…awesome…Bumblebee…making a special shout-out fomr…Sam…for his fiancé…Mik-aela!_

Bee then started to play a song that both teens liked. Mikaela shook her head.

"You only get a nine out of ten for that one, Bumblebee. 'Fiancé' and 'girlfriend' aren't interchangeable."

"Aw, poor Bee," Sam muttered. "It's a shame that he didn't get that right. But, uh, I can fix that."

Mikaela's eyes went wide. "Sam-" But her boyfriend had already slid off the hood, reaching into his pocket. "You wouldn't-"

Sam got down to one knee. "Mikaela, I love you." Sam stopped. "That's as far as I planned."

"You're such a dork," Mikaela giggled from a sudden influx of nerves. "Go ahead, ask it!"

"Will you-"

Mikaela's mouth was over Sam's before the question was out. Neither one noticed that the music had stopped and that Bee was emitting a sound akin to crying. The humans continued hugging and laughing for a few minutes before Sam was able to slip the ring on Mikaela's finger.

"Okay, just one caveat," Sam said, instantly serious. "Do not tell my mom about this. Not until we can restage this with her watching." Mikaela laughed before kissing Sam again.

Sam sighed. Everything in his life was perfect.

* * *

High above the happy humans, an unusual satellite was keeping track of everything going on below. His data came from cell phones and digital cameras. He knew that the humans with the Witwicky name had a new member, and thus a new vulnerability. His red optics gleamed. A plan formed in his mind. Revenge would be swiftly coming.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for coming along for the ride! A sequel will be coming soon!


End file.
